Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Tanunda Lutheran Home is 3.31 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.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
78% positive in 2025, compared with 50% in 2024: 28 percentage points higher.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 199 vs 202 minutes; registered nurses: 31 vs 42 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.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
78% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.5% 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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Tanunda Lutheran Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Tanunda Lutheran Home reported 199 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes below its target of 202 minutes. Of those minutes, 31 came from registered nurses, 11 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
In none of the last four quarters did Tanunda Lutheran Home meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 190 to 256 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 130 of the 199 minutes (65.3%), followed by enrolled nurses (38 minutes, 19.1%) and registered nurses (31 minutes, 15.6%). Tanunda Lutheran Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Tanunda Lutheran Home?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 91% of residents surveyed at Tanunda Lutheran Home answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 9.2 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (91% against 85.2%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.5%. In all, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how care plans are reviewed and changed. Of residents asked whether they get the care they need, 48% answered “always”, 30% “most of the time” and 22% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Tanunda Lutheran Home were asked whether they feel safe, 70% answered “always” and 22% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Tanunda Lutheran Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 78% of residents surveyed at Tanunda Lutheran Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 7.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 50% in 2024. Another 22% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Tanunda Lutheran Home in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Tanunda Lutheran Home reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Tanunda Lutheran Home, 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”.
78% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Tanunda Lutheran Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Tanunda Lutheran Home spent $291.35 per resident per day on care and nursing, 10% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $446.35 per resident per day. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($59), cleaning and laundry ($26.19), and accommodation and maintenance ($23.77) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($167.49) and enrolled nurses ($49.69).
