Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The residents’ experience rating for TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence is 4 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.62. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
72% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% 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: 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 | 2366 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2396 |
| 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 | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence provide?
In January to March 2026, TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence reported 208 minutes of care per resident per day, 8 minutes below its target of 216 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 155 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (41 minutes) and enrolled nurses (11 minutes). TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% of residents surveyed at TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.8 percentage points above the average of 84.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 87.1%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 72% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 36% answered “always”, 36% “most of the time”, 21% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence were asked whether they feel safe, 79% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 79% answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 79% of residents surveyed at TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 11.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. Another 21% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above 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?
TriCare Bundaberg Aged Care Residence reports that 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”.
79% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
