Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Fred Ward Gardens is 3.78 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 217 minutes against a 213-minute daily care target; RN time is 46 against 43.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Respectful treatment is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 52% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
52% positive in 2026, compared with 64% in 2025: 12 percentage points lower.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 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: 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 | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Fred Ward Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Fred Ward Gardens for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 52% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 64% in 2025. Another 22% answered “some of the time” and 26% “never”.
Food spending at Fred Ward Gardens in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.62 per resident per day, 121% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Fred Ward Gardens, 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”.
52% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Fred Ward Gardens?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 74% of residents surveyed at Fred Ward Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 13.2 percentage points below the average of 87.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they get the care they need (87% against 94.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%.
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. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 70% answered “always”, 4% “most of the time”, 9% “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Fred Ward Gardens were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Fred Ward Gardens provide?
In January to March 2026, Fred Ward Gardens reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Registered nurses provided 46 of those minutes, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Fred Ward Gardens met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 217 to 228 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 217 minutes, personal care workers provided 170 (78.3%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 21.2%) and enrolled nurses (1 minute, 0.5%). In the same quarter, Fred Ward Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Fred Ward Gardens spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Fred Ward Gardens spent $404.19 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $260.97 was 1% 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 administration ($51.65), accommodation and maintenance ($29.27), and cleaning and laundry ($22.43) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($158.49) and registered nurses ($67.49).
