Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Dale Residency is 3.45 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
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 show greater confidence in staff skills
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 220 vs 213 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Support for independence is below the survey average
63% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 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: 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 | 3.06 | 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 | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Dale Residency?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 100% of residents surveyed at Dale Residency answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 89.5% average across other homes by 10.5 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 63% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.6%. In all, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 26% answered “always”, 37% “most of the time”, 26% “some of the time” and 11% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 84% of residents surveyed at Dale Residency answered “always” and 16% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 74% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Dale Residency provide?
In January to March 2026, Dale Residency reported 220 minutes of care per resident per day, 7 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Dale Residency met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 214 to 220.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 172 of the 220 minutes (78.2%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 17.7%) and enrolled nurses (9 minutes, 4.1%). In the same quarter, Dale Residency also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Dale Residency?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 73% of residents surveyed at Dale Residency said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. Another 26% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Dale Residency in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.48 per resident per day, 71% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Dale Residency 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”.
73% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
