Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Reynella Hillside Care Community is 2.86 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
61% positive in 2025, compared with 47% in 2024: 14 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 209 vs 224 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Support for independence is below the survey average
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.35% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.49% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.50% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.62% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 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 | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Reynella Hillside Care Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 50% of residents surveyed at Reynella Hillside Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, below the 88.6% average across other homes by 38.6 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (61% against 89.5%) and whether the home is well run (61% against 89.3%).
At Reynella Hillside Care Community, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 9 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 28% answered “always”, 22% “most of the time”, 33% “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Reynella Hillside Care Community were asked whether they feel safe, 61% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 39% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Reynella Hillside Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Reynella Hillside Care Community reported 209 minutes of care per resident per day, 15 minutes below its target of 224 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Reynella Hillside Care Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 209 to 229.
Who provides that care?
Of the 209 minutes, personal care workers provided 144 (68.9%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 19.1%) and enrolled nurses (25 minutes, 12.0%). Reynella Hillside Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Reynella Hillside Care Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 61% of residents surveyed at Reynella Hillside Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 9.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 47% in 2024. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Food spending at Reynella Hillside Care Community 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 $0.37 per resident per day, 32% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Reynella Hillside Care Community 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”.
61% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Reynella Hillside Care Community spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Reynella Hillside Care Community spent $459.81 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $278.53 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($62.63), cleaning and laundry ($31.46) and administration ($30.57) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($154.52) and registered nurses ($57.21).
