Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bupa Armidale is 4.15 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
75% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $11 vs a $16 sector median.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
75% positive in 2025, compared with 85% in 2024: 10 percentage points lower.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% across other homes.
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: 2025 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 2025 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.18% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Bupa Armidale?
When residents surveyed at Bupa Armidale for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 85% in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Bupa Armidale in January to March 2026 was $11 per resident per day, 31% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.24 per resident per day, 14% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bupa Armidale, 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”.
75% 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 Bupa Armidale provide?
In January to March 2026, Bupa Armidale reported 220 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 215 minutes. Registered nurses provided 52 of those minutes, 8 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In one of the last four quarters, Bupa Armidale met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 195 to 220.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 167 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (52 minutes). In the same quarter, Bupa Armidale also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Bupa Armidale?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Bupa Armidale answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 85.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.9%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff are expected to treat residents. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect, 50% answered “always”, 42% “most of the time” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 92% of residents surveyed at Bupa Armidale answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
How does Bupa Armidale spend on resident care?
Total spending at Bupa Armidale in the 2024–25 financial year was $443.71 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 56.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $249.34 was 6% 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($85.43), accommodation and maintenance ($39.12), and cleaning and laundry ($29.69) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($144.83) and registered nurses ($68.67).
