Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
84% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 229 vs 224 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
78% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans?
When residents surveyed at Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.2 percentage points below the average of 93.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (72% against 85.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (78% against 88.6%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 56% answered “always”, 22% “most of the time” and 22% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans were asked whether they feel safe, 78% answered “always” and 11% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 83% answered “always” and 6% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 84% of residents surveyed at Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 13.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 93% in 2024. Another 17% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans 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”.
84% 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 Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans provide?
In January to March 2026, Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans reported 229 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 224 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 210 to 229.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 170 of the 229 minutes (74.2%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 18.3%) and enrolled nurses (17 minutes, 7.4%). Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans spend on resident care?
Total spending at Fronditha Thalpori Aged Care Services - St Albans in the 2024–25 financial year was $412.35 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 67.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $279.03 was 5% above the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($38.98), cleaning and laundry ($34.38) and administration ($16.19) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($157.15) and registered nurses ($53.80).
