Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Feros Village Bangalow is 3.3 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 improved in the latest survey
85% positive in 2026, compared with 69% in 2025: 16 percentage points higher.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 226 vs 219 minutes; registered nurses: 43 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
54% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
62% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% 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 | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.11% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.24% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Feros Village Bangalow?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 54% of residents surveyed at Feros Village Bangalow answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, below the 84.2% average across other homes by 30.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (62% against 89.1%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (77% against 92.7%), 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: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. In all, answers on 2 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 how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 31% answered “always”, 23% “most of the time”, 31% “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 77% of residents surveyed at Feros Village Bangalow answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 54% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Feros Village Bangalow?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 85% of residents surveyed at Feros Village Bangalow said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 17.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 69% in 2025. Another 15% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Feros Village Bangalow in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.48 per resident per day, 71% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Feros Village Bangalow 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”.
85% 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 Feros Village Bangalow provide?
Feros Village Bangalow reported 226 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 7 minutes above its target of 219 minutes. Of those minutes, 43 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Feros Village Bangalow 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 219 to 226.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 171 of the 226 minutes (75.7%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 19.0%) and enrolled nurses (12 minutes, 5.3%). In the same quarter, Feros Village Bangalow also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Feros Village Bangalow spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Feros Village Bangalow in the 2024–25 financial year was $299.43 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $524.59 per resident per day. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($93.47), accommodation and maintenance ($39.17), and cleaning and laundry ($31.81) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($165.45) and registered nurses ($75.94).
