Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village is 3.71 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
86% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 225 vs 225 minutes; registered nurses: 44 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% 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 | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 86% of residents surveyed at RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 18.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 79% in 2025. Another 14% answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village, 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”.
86% 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 RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, above the 87.1% average across other homes by 12.9 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (93% against 84.2%) and whether the home is well run (93% against 88.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 85% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.4%. Altogether, 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 how care plans are reviewed and changed. Of residents asked whether they get the care they need, 64% answered “always”, 21% “most of the time” and 14% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 93% of residents surveyed at RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village answered “always”.
How does RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village spent $409.12 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $250 was 6% 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 ($46.80), cleaning and laundry ($30.92) and administration ($27.83) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($150.16) and registered nurses ($63.56).
How much care and nursing does RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village provide?
RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village reported 225 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, matching its target of 225 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 45.
RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 214 to 225 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 181 of the 225 minutes (80.4%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 19.6%). In the same quarter, RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
