Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton is 3.6 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two 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 223 minutes against a 219-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 44.
Staff communication is a relative strength
88% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
59% positive in 2025, compared with 74% in 2024: 15 percentage points lower.
Support for independence is below the survey average
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 71% of residents surveyed at Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton answered “always” or “most of the time”, 17.6 percentage points below the average of 88.6% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (70% against 85.2%) and whether they get the care they need (88% against 94.5%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 88% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 65% answered “always”, 6% “most of the time”, 18% “some of the time” and 12% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton were asked whether they feel safe, 53% answered “always” and 41% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton provide?
In January to March 2026, Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 219 minutes. Registered nurses provided 48 of those minutes, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 223 to 245.
Who provides that care?
Of the 223 minutes, personal care workers provided 175 (78.5%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 21.5%). In the same quarter, Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 59% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 74% in 2024. Another 41% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton in January to March 2026 was $18 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.11 per resident per day, 61% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton, 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”.
59% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Uniting Elizabeth Gates and Alroy House Singleton spent $455.17 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $283.15 was 7% above the sector median of $264.85. These figures 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 ($52.03), accommodation and maintenance ($44.70), and cleaning and laundry ($26.58) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($190.93) and registered nurses ($65.86).
