Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Residency by Dillons Fremantle is 4.3 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 212 minutes against a 203-minute daily care target; RN time is 65 against 42.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
58% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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 | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 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 Residency by Dillons Fremantle provide?
Residency by Dillons Fremantle reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 9 minutes above its target of 203 minutes. Of those minutes, 65 came from registered nurses, 23 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
In each of the last four quarters, Residency by Dillons Fremantle met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 212 to 220 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 147 of the 212 minutes (69.3%), followed by registered nurses (65 minutes, 30.7%). Residency by Dillons Fremantle also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists and dietitians in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Residency by Dillons Fremantle?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Residency by Dillons Fremantle answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 18.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%. In all, answers on 3 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?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 42% answered “always”, 33% “most of the time” and 25% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Residency by Dillons Fremantle were asked whether they feel safe, 100% answered “always”.
What is the food like at Residency by Dillons Fremantle?
When residents surveyed at Residency by Dillons Fremantle for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 58% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 50% in 2024. Another 17% answered “some of the time” and 25% “never”.
Food spending at Residency by Dillons Fremantle in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with 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?
Residency by Dillons Fremantle 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”.
58% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Residency by Dillons Fremantle spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Residency by Dillons Fremantle in the 2024–25 financial year was $299.67 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $522.40 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($78.98), accommodation and maintenance ($72.48), and cleaning and laundry ($32.48) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($139.52) and registered nurses ($92.67).
