Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield is 3.9 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 234 minutes against a 233-minute daily care target; RN time is 47 against 46.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 64% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
64% positive in 2026, compared with 77% in 2025: 13 percentage points lower.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
79% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 79% of residents surveyed at Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff are kind and caring, 16.4 percentage points below the average of 95.4% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (86% against 95.4%) and whether staff explain things to them (71% against 80.3%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 84.2%. Altogether, answers on 3 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 how staff get to know each resident. Of residents asked whether staff are kind and caring, 36% answered “always”, 43% “most of the time” and 21% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield were asked whether they feel safe, 64% answered “always” and 36% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 50% answered “always” and 43% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 64% of residents surveyed at Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 3.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 77% in 2025. Another 36% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.39 per resident per day, 39% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield 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”.
64% 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 Quong Tart Ashfield provide?
Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield reported 234 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 233 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In each of the last four quarters, Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 232 to 237.
Who provides that care?
Of the 234 minutes, personal care workers provided 187 (79.9%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 20.1%). In the same quarter, Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield spend on resident care?
Total spending at Uniting Quong Tart Ashfield in the 2024–25 financial year was $412.59 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $271.36 was 2% 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?
Other categories included administration ($54.79), accommodation and maintenance ($36.47), and cleaning and laundry ($20.49) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($173.28) and registered nurses ($64.47).
