Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate is 3.6 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
76% positive in 2025, compared with 64% in 2024: 12 percentage points higher.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 217 vs 213 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% 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 | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 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 | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How does Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate in the 2024–25 financial year was $320.87 per resident per day, 21% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $542.01 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 ($76.65), accommodation and maintenance ($48.78), and cleaning and laundry ($35.88) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($154.15) and registered nurses ($81.67).
What do residents say about Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate?
When residents surveyed at Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 89.3% average across other homes by 10.7 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 85.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. 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 staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 23% answered “always”, 46% “most of the time”, 23% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate 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”.
What is the food like at Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 76% of residents surveyed at Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 64% in 2024. Another 15% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate in January to March 2026 was $19 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate 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”.
76% 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 Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate provide?
Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Of those minutes, 39 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 217 to 236 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 217 minutes, personal care workers provided 156 (71.9%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 18.0%) and enrolled nurses (22 minutes, 10.1%). In the same quarter, Uniting AgeWell Aldersgate also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
