Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc is 4.07 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
77% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 234 minutes against a 218-minute daily care target; RN time is 51 against 44.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% 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: 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc provide?
In January to March 2026, Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc reported 234 minutes of care per resident per day, 16 minutes above its target of 218 minutes. Of those minutes, 51 came from registered nurses, 7 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 218 to 234 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 169 of the 234 minutes (72.2%), followed by registered nurses (51 minutes, 21.8%) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes, 6.0%). Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, above the 87.1% average across other homes by 12.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 80.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.3%. In all, answers on 2 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 what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 62% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc were asked whether they get the care they need, 69% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc?
When residents surveyed at Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share was also 77% in 2025. Another 15% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc, 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”.
77% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc spend on resident care?
Total spending at Dryandra Residential and Community Care Inc in the 2024–25 financial year was $371.02 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 66.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $246.84 was 7% below the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Spending on other categories included cleaning and laundry ($42.38), administration ($26.76), and accommodation and maintenance ($20.05) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($138.54) and registered nurses ($46.67).
