Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village is 3.63 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
93% enjoy meals vs 70.2% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 239 minutes against a 218-minute daily care target; RN time is 44 against 44.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
93% positive in 2025, compared with 83% in 2024: 10 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% 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 | 3.07 | 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 | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.24% | 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 RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village provide?
In January to March 2026, RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village reported 239 minutes of care per resident per day, 21 minutes above its target of 218 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, matching the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 239.
Who provides that care?
Of the 239 minutes, personal care workers provided 195 (81.6%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 18.4%). In the same quarter, RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 93% of residents surveyed at RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 22.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 83% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.32 per resident per day, 14% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to RFBI Goulburn 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”.
93% 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 Goulburn Masonic Village?
When residents surveyed at RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 5.3 percentage points below the average of 89.3% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (77% against 81.8%) and whether they feel safe (92% against 96.5%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%. Altogether, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 46% answered “always”, 38% “most of the time” and 15% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village were asked whether they get the care they need, 62% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
How does RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, RFBI Goulburn Masonic Village spent $419.77 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $273.56 was 3% 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 ($37.18), administration ($29.36), and cleaning and laundry ($27.13) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($153.60) and registered nurses ($71.31).
