Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Fronditha Lower Templestowe is 4.12 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
92% enjoy meals vs 70.2% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
92% positive in 2025, compared with 62% in 2024: 30 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Support for independence is below the survey average
76% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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: 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 | 89.32% | 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 | 70.24% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Fronditha Lower Templestowe?
When residents surveyed at Fronditha Lower Templestowe for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 21.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 62% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Fronditha Lower Templestowe 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 $0.32 per resident per day, 14% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Fronditha Lower Templestowe 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”.
92% 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 Fronditha Lower Templestowe?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 76% of residents surveyed at Fronditha Lower Templestowe answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.6 percentage points below the average of 88.6% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (85% against 93.2%) and whether staff are kind and caring (92% against 96.0%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.3%. In all, 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 how staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 38% answered “always”, 38% “most of the time”, 8% “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Fronditha Lower Templestowe were asked whether they feel safe, 69% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 38% answered “always” and 54% “most of the time”.
How does Fronditha Lower Templestowe spend on resident care?
Total spending at Fronditha Lower Templestowe in the 2024–25 financial year was $420.93 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 69.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $290.69 was 10% above 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?
Other categories included cleaning and laundry ($33.52), accommodation and maintenance ($26.65) and administration ($22.55) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($170.89) and registered nurses ($65.20).
How much care and nursing does Fronditha Lower Templestowe provide?
In January to March 2026, Fronditha Lower Templestowe reported 230 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 227 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In one of the last four quarters, Fronditha Lower Templestowe met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 219 to 230 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 178 minutes, followed by registered nurses (47 minutes) and enrolled nurses (4 minutes). In the same quarter, Fronditha Lower Templestowe also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
