Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth is 2.9 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
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.
Residents report stronger support for independence
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 208 vs 209 minutes; registered nurses: 45 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
54% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% 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 | 95.87% | 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 | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.98% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 54% of residents surveyed at Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth answered “always” or “most of the time”, 35.5 percentage points below the average of 89.5% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (69% against 96.0%) and whether they get the care they need (69% against 94.5%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. Altogether, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 23% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time” and 46% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 62% of residents surveyed at Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 54% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 16.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 57% in 2024. Another 31% answered “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth spent $19 per resident per day on food, 19% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.18 per resident per day, 36% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth, 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”.
54% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth spent $226.13 per resident per day on care and nursing, 15% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $361.16 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 ($45.81), accommodation and maintenance ($25.73), and cleaning and laundry ($24.57) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($141.45) and registered nurses ($59.15).
How much care and nursing does Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth provide?
In January to March 2026, Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth reported 208 minutes of care per resident per day, 1 minute below its target of 209 minutes. Registered nurses provided 45 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 208 to 212.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 162 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (45 minutes). In the same quarter, Uniting Alblas Lodge Tamworth also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
