Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Shepparton Aged Care is 3.05 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Kind and caring staff is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 43% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
43% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.3% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 217 vs 217 minutes; registered nurses: 37 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.38% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.46% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.17% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.28% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.25% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Shepparton Aged Care?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 43% of residents surveyed at Shepparton Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time”, 41.3 percentage points below the average of 84.3% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they get the care they need (57% against 94.5%) and whether staff explain things to them (50% against 80.3%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 7% answered “always”, 36% “most of the time”, 36% “some of the time” and 21% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Shepparton Aged Care were asked whether they feel safe, 64% answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Shepparton Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at Shepparton Aged Care for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 43% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 24.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share rose from 38% in 2025. Another 50% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Shepparton Aged Care spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Shepparton Aged Care reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Shepparton Aged Care, 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”.
43% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Shepparton Aged Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Shepparton Aged Care spent $369.70 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $243.45 was 8% 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($44.81), administration ($29.09), and cleaning and laundry ($16.63) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($137.78) and registered nurses ($46.93).
How much care and nursing does Shepparton Aged Care provide?
Shepparton Aged Care reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, matching its target of 217 minutes. Of those minutes, 37 came from registered nurses, 7 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did Shepparton Aged Care meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 208 to 217.
Who provides that care?
Of the 217 minutes, personal care workers provided 170 (78.3%), followed by registered nurses (37 minutes, 17.1%) and enrolled nurses (10 minutes, 4.6%). In the same quarter, Shepparton Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
