Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for IRT William Beach Gardens is 3.82 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
87% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
33% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.4% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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: 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.37% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What do residents say about IRT William Beach Gardens?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they have a say in their daily activities, 77% of residents surveyed at IRT William Beach Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 92.7% average across other homes by 15.7 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (74% against 87.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (80% against 89.1%), 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: 87% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%.
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, 74% answered “always”, 3% “most of the time”, 6% “some of the time” and 16% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 90% of residents surveyed at IRT William Beach Gardens answered “always” and 3% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 81% answered “always” and 6% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at IRT William Beach Gardens?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 33% of residents surveyed at IRT William Beach Gardens said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 34.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 35% in 2025. Another 19% answered “some of the time” and 48% “never”.
In January to March 2026, IRT William Beach Gardens spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.26 per resident per day, 7% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to IRT William Beach Gardens, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 49% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
33% 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 IRT William Beach Gardens provide?
IRT William Beach Gardens reported 237 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 15 minutes above its target of 222 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
IRT William Beach Gardens met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 208 to 237.
Who provides that care?
Of the 237 minutes, personal care workers provided 188 (79.3%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 19.8%) and enrolled nurses (2 minutes, 0.8%). In the same quarter, IRT William Beach Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does IRT William Beach Gardens spend on resident care?
Total spending at IRT William Beach Gardens in the 2024–25 financial year was $420.51 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $245.62 was 7% below 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 administration ($65.93), accommodation and maintenance ($31.75), and cleaning and laundry ($22.26) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($161.03) and registered nurses ($57.50).
