Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for RFBI Armidale Masonic Village is 3.34 out of 5, against 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.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
85% positive in 2025, compared with 65% in 2024: 20 percentage points higher.
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% 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: 209 vs 220 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 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 | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.18% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does RFBI Armidale Masonic Village provide?
In January to March 2026, RFBI Armidale Masonic Village reported 209 minutes of care per resident per day, 11 minutes below its target of 220 minutes. Registered nurses provided 42 of those minutes, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did RFBI Armidale Masonic Village meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 209 to 217.
Who provides that care?
Of the 209 minutes, personal care workers provided 167 (79.9%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 20.1%). In the same quarter, RFBI Armidale Masonic Village also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about RFBI Armidale Masonic Village?
When residents surveyed at RFBI Armidale Masonic Village for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 18.2 percentage points above the average of 81.8% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (100% against 85.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 86% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. Altogether, 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?
On a visit, you can ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 57% answered “always”, 29% “most of the time”, 7% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 86% of residents surveyed at RFBI Armidale Masonic Village answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 79% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at RFBI Armidale Masonic Village?
When residents surveyed at RFBI Armidale Masonic Village for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 85% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 65% in 2024. Another 14% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at RFBI Armidale Masonic Village in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, RFBI Armidale Masonic Village reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
RFBI Armidale Masonic 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”.
85% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does RFBI Armidale Masonic Village spend on resident care?
Total spending at RFBI Armidale Masonic Village in the 2024–25 financial year was $402.36 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $259.68 was 2% below the sector median of $264.85. These amounts 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 ($39.57), administration ($27.50), and cleaning and laundry ($27.35) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($145.05) and registered nurses ($76.06).
