Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Templestowe Woodlands Care Community is 3.08 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 214 vs 227 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 45 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.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
76% 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 | 3.18 | 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 | 94.49% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Templestowe Woodlands Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Templestowe Woodlands Care Community reported 214 minutes of care per resident per day, 13 minutes below its target of 227 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Templestowe Woodlands Care Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 211 to 223 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 151 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (22 minutes). Templestowe Woodlands Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Templestowe Woodlands Care Community?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they get the care they need, 76% of residents surveyed at Templestowe Woodlands Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time”, 18.5 percentage points below the average of 94.5% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (69% against 85.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (77% against 93.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how care plans are reviewed and changed. When residents were asked whether they get the care they need, 38% answered “always”, 38% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Templestowe Woodlands Care Community, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 85% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
What is the food like at Templestowe Woodlands Care Community?
When residents surveyed at Templestowe Woodlands Care Community for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. The share fell from 70% in 2024. Another 31% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Templestowe Woodlands Care Community in January to March 2026 was $10 per resident per day, 38% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.32 per resident per day, 14% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Templestowe Woodlands 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”.
69% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
