Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel is 3.74 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
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
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.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
58% positive in 2026, compared with 78% in 2025: 20 percentage points lower.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
78% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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 | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.44% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel provide?
In January to March 2026, St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day, 15 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Registered nurses provided 49 of those minutes, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In three of the last four quarters, St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 207 to 234 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 179 of the 228 minutes (78.5%), followed by registered nurses (49 minutes, 21.5%). St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel?
When residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff treat them with respect, 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 95.4% average across other homes by 17.4 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (72% against 89.1%) and whether they get the care they need (78% against 94.4%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.2%. In all, answers on 2 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 how staff are expected to treat residents. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect, 57% answered “always”, 21% “most of the time”, 14% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 64% of residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 58% of residents surveyed at St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 9.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 78% in 2025. Another 36% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel spent $23 per resident per day on food, 44% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.11 per resident per day, 61% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel, 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”.
58% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel spend on resident care?
Total spending at St Vincent's Care Services Toowoomba - Hostel in the 2024–25 financial year was $395.52 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $247.92 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($40.52), accommodation and maintenance ($40.36), and cleaning and laundry ($15.66) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($165.43) and registered nurses ($52.25).
