Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence is 3.63 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
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
90% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 223 vs 216 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
74% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 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 | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence provide?
Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 7 minutes above its target of 216 minutes. Registered nurses provided 41 of those minutes, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
In one of the last four quarters, Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 223 to 235 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 223 minutes, personal care workers provided 168 (75.3%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 18.4%) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes, 6.3%). Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence also reported spending on podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 88.6% average across other homes by 11.4 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (90% against 81.8%) and whether the home is well run (95% against 89.3%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 58% answered “always”, 16% “most of the time” and 26% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence were asked whether they feel safe, 74% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 74% answered “always” and 26% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 73% of residents surveyed at Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 67% in 2024. Another 21% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Food spending at Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.26 per resident per day, 7% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence 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”.
73% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence spend on resident care?
Total spending at Villa Maria Catholic Homes Wantirna Aged Care Residence in the 2024–25 financial year was $456.47 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $281.46 was 6% above 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($57.12), administration ($43.52), and cleaning and laundry ($27.66) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($169.08) and registered nurses ($68.15).
