Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village is 3.82 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.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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: 205 vs 209 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 43 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.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
84% positive in 2025, compared with 100% in 2024: 16 percentage points lower.
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 | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 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 | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 100% of residents surveyed at RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village 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 they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 88.6%).
At RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 100% of residents surveyed at RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 100% answered “always”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How much care and nursing does RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village provide?
RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village reported 205 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes below its target of 209 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village 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 204 to 206.
Who provides that care?
Of the 205 minutes, personal care workers provided 166 (81.0%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 19.0%). In the same quarter, RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 84% of residents surveyed at RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 13.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 100% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village spent $16 per resident per day on food, in line with the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.07 per resident per day, 75% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to RFBI West Wyalong 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”.
84% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village spend on resident care?
Total spending at RFBI West Wyalong Masonic Village in the 2024–25 financial year was $383.30 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $246.35 was 7% below 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($35.81), cleaning and laundry ($25.54) and administration ($24.84) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($142.04) and registered nurses ($63.96).
