Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Templestowe Grove Care Community is 3.38 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
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$13 a day vs a $16 sector median; 61% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 200 vs 218 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 44 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.
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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Templestowe Grove Care Community provide?
Templestowe Grove Care Community reported 200 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 18 minutes below its target of 218 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did Templestowe Grove Care Community meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 200 to 219 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 150 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (11 minutes). In the same quarter, Templestowe Grove Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Templestowe Grove Care Community?
When residents surveyed at Templestowe Grove Care Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 76% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 92.7% average across other homes by 16.7 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (69% against 80.3%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (76% against 87.2%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.4%. Altogether, answers on 3 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 38% answered “always”, 38% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 77% of residents surveyed at Templestowe Grove Care Community answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Templestowe Grove Care Community?
When residents surveyed at Templestowe Grove Care Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 61% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 69% in 2025. Another 31% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at Templestowe Grove Care Community in January to March 2026 was $13 per resident per day, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.26 per resident per day, 7% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Templestowe Grove Care Community, 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”.
61% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Templestowe Grove Care Community spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Templestowe Grove Care Community in the 2024–25 financial year was $292.25 per resident per day, 10% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $467.08 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($66.24), administration ($35.06), and cleaning and laundry ($29.98) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($164.69) and registered nurses ($60).
