Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Baptcare - Strathalan Community is 3.75 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 214 vs 212 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
65% positive in 2026, compared with 79% in 2025: 14 percentage points lower.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Sources and Explanation
This is a programmatic interpretation of published data, not an in-person inspection or a separate expert-assigned score. The figures are the Elderberry Index and its four government component ratings; a measure the home has no published rating for is left out. Our rating methodology.
Ratings: August 2026. Survey comparisons: 2026 interview responses from that extract. Other Australian homes in the same ratings extract; survey comparisons also require the same interview year. Each eligible home has equal weight; missing/invalid values excluded. These are descriptive comparisons, not resident-weighted or adjusted for differences in care needs.
How findings are selected
Survey gaps of at least 3 percentage points, rating gaps of at least 0.3 stars, and changes of at least 10 percentage points can qualify. These are editorial selection thresholds, not tests of statistical significance. Benchmarks need at least 30 homes. Each side shows up to three eligible findings; missing values never become negative findings. Specific combined food evidence and sustained care-target results are prioritised, then larger differences. Respect and caring are grouped when both qualify.
Food spending uses the My Aged Care sector median for Jan–Mar 2026; resident enjoyment comes from the 2026 survey. The combined finding reports two separate observations from different reporting periods; it does not establish that spending caused the survey result. Year-to-year survey samples may differ and respondent counts are unavailable. Care consistency uses the latest four submitted, quality-checked care-minute records and direct RN minutes without EN top-up.
A lower compliance rating is a comparison with other homes, not a claim of an active sanction. Higher expenditure alone is not treated as better care. Unadjusted clinical incident measures are not used to rank quality here.
My Aged Care home profile · Government Star Ratings extract
Benchmark populations
| Measure | Mean | Other homes |
|---|---|---|
| Elderberry Index | 3.81 | 2365 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2395 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Baptcare - Strathalan Community?
When residents surveyed at Baptcare - Strathalan Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 89.1% average across other homes by 15.1 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they get the care they need (87% against 94.4%) and whether staff treat them with respect (91% against 95.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 96% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. Altogether, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 39% answered “always”, 35% “most of the time” and 26% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 57% of residents surveyed at Baptcare - Strathalan Community answered “always” and 39% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Baptcare - Strathalan Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Baptcare - Strathalan Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 14 percentage points lower than the 79% recorded in 2025. Another 30% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Baptcare - Strathalan Community spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Baptcare - Strathalan Community reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
65% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Baptcare - Strathalan Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Baptcare - Strathalan Community reported 214 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 212 minutes. Registered nurses provided 42 of those minutes, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In two of the last four quarters, Baptcare - Strathalan Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 207 to 214.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 167 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (42 minutes) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes). Baptcare - Strathalan Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Baptcare - Strathalan Community spend on resident care?
Total spending at Baptcare - Strathalan Community in the 2024–25 financial year was $434.85 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $262.24 was 1% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($73.81), accommodation and maintenance ($40.21), and cleaning and laundry ($25.69) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($164.07) and registered nurses ($63.89).
