Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Tongala Memorial is 4.37 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 237 minutes against a 218-minute daily care target; RN time is 52 against 44.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
92% positive in 2025, compared with 54% in 2024: 38 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Following up concerns is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% 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 | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.24% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Tongala Memorial provide?
In January to March 2026, Tongala Memorial reported 237 minutes of care per resident per day, 19 minutes above its target of 218 minutes. Registered nurses provided 52 of those minutes, 8 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Tongala Memorial met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 237 to 244 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 171 minutes, followed by registered nurses (52 minutes) and enrolled nurses (15 minutes). Tongala Memorial also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Tongala Memorial?
When residents surveyed at Tongala Memorial for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 21.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 54% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Tongala Memorial in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.56 per resident per day, 100% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Tongala Memorial, 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”.
92% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Tongala Memorial?
When residents surveyed at Tongala Memorial for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.5 percentage points above the average of 89.5% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 81.8%) and whether staff are kind and caring (100% against 96.0%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%. Altogether, answers on 3 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 the home records and follows up concerns. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 54% answered “always”, 23% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Tongala Memorial were asked whether they feel safe, 100% answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 62% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
How does Tongala Memorial spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Tongala Memorial spent $307.63 per resident per day on care and nursing, 16% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $502.49 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 ($57.56), accommodation and maintenance ($50.27), and cleaning and laundry ($33.64) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($168.90) and registered nurses ($82.74).
