Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for The Heights Donvale is 3.31 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 53% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 219 vs 223 minutes; registered nurses: 36 vs 45 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.
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 | 95.87% | 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 | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at The Heights Donvale?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 53% of residents surveyed at The Heights Donvale said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 17.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 67% in 2024. Another 41% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, The Heights Donvale spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.51 per resident per day, 82% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to The Heights Donvale, 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”.
53% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does The Heights Donvale provide?
The Heights Donvale reported 219 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes below its target of 223 minutes. Of those minutes, 36 came from registered nurses, 9 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did The Heights Donvale meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 213 to 222.
Who provides that care?
Of the 219 minutes, personal care workers provided 164 (74.9%), followed by registered nurses (36 minutes, 16.4%) and enrolled nurses (19 minutes, 8.7%). In the same quarter, The Heights Donvale also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about The Heights Donvale?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff treat them with respect, 88% of residents surveyed at The Heights Donvale answered “always” or “most of the time”, 7.9 percentage points below the average of 95.9% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (83% against 89.3%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%. 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff are expected to treat residents. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect, 35% answered “always”, 53% “most of the time” and 12% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at The Heights Donvale were asked whether they feel safe, 65% answered “always” and 35% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 47% answered “always” and 47% “most of the time”.
How does The Heights Donvale spend on resident care?
Total spending at The Heights Donvale in the 2024–25 financial year was $510.09 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 46.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $238.43 was 10% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($129.21), administration ($62.89), and cleaning and laundry ($32.17) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($136.38) and registered nurses ($50.45).
