Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Dovetree is 3.45 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 233 minutes against a 229-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 45.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
86% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 24% enjoy meals vs 70.3% 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.
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: 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 | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.29% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Dovetree?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Dovetree answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether the home is well run, below the 89.3% average across other homes by 12.3 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (77% against 88.6%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (76% against 85.2%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 86% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. 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 who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 29% answered “always”, 48% “most of the time” and 24% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Dovetree were asked whether they feel safe, 71% answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 62% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Dovetree?
When residents surveyed at Dovetree for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 24% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 46.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. Another 52% answered “some of the time” and 24% “never”.
Food spending at Dovetree 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 $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Dovetree, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 42% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
24% 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 Dovetree provide?
In January to March 2026, Dovetree reported 233 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 229 minutes. Of those minutes, 48 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Dovetree met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 226 to 233.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 183 of the 233 minutes (78.5%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 20.6%) and enrolled nurses (2 minutes, 0.9%). Dovetree also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
