Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Farmborough Unanderra is 3.93 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 243 minutes against a 238-minute daily care target; RN time is 47 against 46.
Staff communication is a relative strength
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% 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
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
90% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
85% 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 | 2365 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2395 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Uniting Farmborough Unanderra provide?
Uniting Farmborough Unanderra reported 243 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 238 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In each of the last four quarters, Uniting Farmborough Unanderra met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 240 to 252 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 194 of the 243 minutes (79.8%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 19.3%) and enrolled nurses (2 minutes, 0.8%). In the same quarter, Uniting Farmborough Unanderra also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Uniting Farmborough Unanderra?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 75% of residents surveyed at Uniting Farmborough Unanderra said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 7.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 72% in 2025. Another 20% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Uniting Farmborough Unanderra spent $20 per resident per day on food, 25% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.17 per resident per day, 39% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Uniting Farmborough Unanderra reports that breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
75% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Uniting Farmborough Unanderra?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Farmborough Unanderra for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 80.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (95% against 84.2%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 90% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.3%. In all, answers on 2 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?
On a visit, you can ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. Of residents asked whether they feel safe, 70% answered “always”, 20% “most of the time” and 10% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Uniting Farmborough Unanderra was 90% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities and 85% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
How does Uniting Farmborough Unanderra spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Uniting Farmborough Unanderra in the 2024–25 financial year was $296.07 per resident per day, 12% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $445.98 per resident per day. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($51.27), accommodation and maintenance ($40.92), and cleaning and laundry ($19.54) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($183.11) and registered nurses ($66.58).
