Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care is 3.6 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
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 223 vs 221 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
78% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% 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 | 95.37% | 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 | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What is the food like at UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 69% of residents surveyed at UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 66% in 2025. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care spent $12 per resident per day on food, 25% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.21 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care, 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”.
69% 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 UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 78% of residents surveyed at UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.1 percentage points below the average of 89.1% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (85% against 95.4%) and whether staff are kind and caring (87% against 95.4%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.4%.
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, 47% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time” and 22% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 72% of residents surveyed at UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care answered “always” and 22% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care provide?
In January to March 2026, UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 221 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 218 to 223 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 223 minutes, personal care workers provided 149 (66.8%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 18.8%) and enrolled nurses (32 minutes, 14.3%). In the same quarter, UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, UnitingSA Wesley House Aged Care spent $426.54 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.50 was in line with the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($55.28), accommodation and maintenance ($44.82), and cleaning and laundry ($23.74) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($137.97) and registered nurses ($53.23).
