Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for TLC Whitewater is 3.16 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
57% positive in 2025, compared with 34% in 2024: 23 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 212 vs 220 minutes; registered nurses: 30 vs 44 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.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
68% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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 | 3.07 | 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 | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does TLC Whitewater provide?
TLC Whitewater reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 8 minutes below its target of 220 minutes. Registered nurses provided 30 of those minutes, 14 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did TLC Whitewater meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 212 to 217 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 165 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (30 minutes) and enrolled nurses (18 minutes). In the same quarter, TLC Whitewater also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about TLC Whitewater?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 68% of residents surveyed at TLC Whitewater answered “always” or “most of the time”, 17.2 percentage points below the average of 85.2% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (75% against 88.6%) and whether staff explain things to them (71% against 81.8%).
On 9 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at TLC Whitewater were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 32% answered “always”, 36% “most of the time” and 32% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at TLC Whitewater were asked whether they feel safe, 71% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 36% answered “always” and 54% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at TLC Whitewater?
When residents surveyed at TLC Whitewater for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 57% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 13.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 34% in 2024. Another 36% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Food spending at TLC Whitewater in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.49 per resident per day, 75% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to TLC Whitewater, 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”.
57% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does TLC Whitewater spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at TLC Whitewater in the 2024–25 financial year was $237.38 per resident per day, 10% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $461.40 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 ($87.47), administration ($68.06), and cleaning and laundry ($28.45) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($147.07) and registered nurses ($46.81).
