Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Tamworth Community Aged Care is 3.41 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
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
89% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 211 vs 214 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 43 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.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 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 Tamworth Community Aged Care provide?
In January to March 2026, Tamworth Community Aged Care reported 211 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes below its target of 214 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did Tamworth Community Aged Care meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 193 to 211.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 151 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (19 minutes). Tamworth Community Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Tamworth Community Aged Care?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 68% of residents surveyed at Tamworth Community Aged Care said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Tamworth Community Aged Care spent $12 per resident per day on food, 25% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.55 per resident per day, 96% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Tamworth Community 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”.
68% 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 Tamworth Community Aged Care?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 89% of residents surveyed at Tamworth Community Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 7.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (93% against 88.6%) and whether they feel safe (100% against 96.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 82% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 36% answered “always”, 46% “most of the time” and 18% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 82% of residents surveyed at Tamworth Community Aged Care answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”.
