Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Hawthorn Village is 4.7 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 229 minutes against a 207-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 42.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.2% across other homes.
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
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% 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 | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.24% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.18% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Hawthorn Village provide?
Hawthorn Village reported 229 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 22 minutes above its target of 207 minutes. Of those minutes, 48 came from registered nurses, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Hawthorn Village met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 215 to 229.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 172 of the 229 minutes (75.1%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 21.0%) and enrolled nurses (9 minutes, 3.9%). Hawthorn Village also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Hawthorn Village?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Hawthorn Village said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 29.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 42% in 2024.
Food spending at Hawthorn Village in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with 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?
Hawthorn Village 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”.
100% 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 Hawthorn Village?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Hawthorn Village answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 85.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.9%. In all, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff are expected to treat residents. Of residents asked whether staff treat them with respect, 92% answered “always” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “most of the time” or “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 85% of residents surveyed at Hawthorn Village answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
How does Hawthorn Village spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Hawthorn Village spent $320.01 per resident per day on care and nursing, 21% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $464.15 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 ($42.52), cleaning and laundry ($26.71), and accommodation and maintenance ($23.71) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($160.48) and registered nurses ($84.41).
