Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Frederic House is 4.04 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 223 minutes against a 194-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 40.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% 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 | 96.46% | 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 | 88.59% | 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 |
How much care and nursing does Frederic House provide?
In January to March 2026, Frederic House reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day, 29 minutes above its target of 194 minutes. Registered nurses provided 48 of those minutes, 8 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 40.
In each of the last four quarters, Frederic House met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 218 to 224.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 161 minutes, followed by registered nurses (48 minutes) and enrolled nurses (15 minutes). Frederic House also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Frederic House?
When residents surveyed at Frederic House for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. Another 31% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Frederic House spent $28 per resident per day on food, 75% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.41 per resident per day, 46% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Frederic House, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 28% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
69% 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 Frederic House?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they feel safe, 77% of residents surveyed at Frederic House answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 96.5% average across other homes by 19.5 percentage points. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (77% against 89.3%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (77% against 85.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. Altogether, answers on 4 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 what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. Of residents asked whether they feel safe, 62% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 62% of residents surveyed at Frederic House answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
