Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting AgeWell Strathglen is 3.75 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. One finding stands 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.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 227 vs 220 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
46% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
39% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.49% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.50% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.84% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Uniting AgeWell Strathglen?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 46% of residents surveyed at Uniting AgeWell Strathglen answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, below the 81.8% average across other homes by 35.8 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (61% against 89.5%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (62% against 88.6%).
At Uniting AgeWell Strathglen, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
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, 38% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time”, 46% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Uniting AgeWell Strathglen were asked whether they feel safe, 85% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 54% answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Uniting AgeWell Strathglen?
When residents surveyed at Uniting AgeWell Strathglen for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 39% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 31.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 62% in 2024. Another 31% answered “some of the time” and 31% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Uniting AgeWell Strathglen spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.77 per resident per day, 175% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Uniting AgeWell Strathglen 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”.
39% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Uniting AgeWell Strathglen spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Uniting AgeWell Strathglen in the 2024–25 financial year was $324.34 per resident per day, 22% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $506.52 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 administration ($61.57), accommodation and maintenance ($42.24), and cleaning and laundry ($22.41) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($152.91) and registered nurses ($77.79).
How much care and nursing does Uniting AgeWell Strathglen provide?
In January to March 2026, Uniting AgeWell Strathglen reported 227 minutes of care per resident per day, 7 minutes above its target of 220 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Uniting AgeWell Strathglen met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 225 to 228 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 167 of the 227 minutes (73.6%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 18.5%) and enrolled nurses (18 minutes, 7.9%). Uniting AgeWell Strathglen also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
