Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Wahroonga Place Care Community is 3.23 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
84% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $9 vs a $16 sector median.
Kind and caring staff is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 211 vs 226 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 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: 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 | 95.36% | 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 | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Wahroonga Place Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Wahroonga Place Care Community reported 211 minutes of care per resident per day, 15 minutes below its target of 226 minutes. Registered nurses provided 41 of those minutes, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did Wahroonga Place Care Community meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 211 to 221.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 166 of the 211 minutes (78.7%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 19.4%) and enrolled nurses (4 minutes, 1.9%). In the same quarter, Wahroonga Place Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Wahroonga Place Care Community?
When residents surveyed at Wahroonga Place Care Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 16.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 93% in 2025. Another 15% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Wahroonga Place Care Community in January to March 2026 was $9 per resident per day, 44% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.29 per resident per day, 4% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Wahroonga Place Care Community, 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”.
84% 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 Wahroonga Place Care Community?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 69% of residents surveyed at Wahroonga Place Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 11.3 percentage points below the average of 80.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (85% against 92.7%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (77% against 84.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 15% answered “always”, 54% “most of the time” and 31% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 62% of residents surveyed at Wahroonga Place Care Community answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 38% answered “always” and 54% “most of the time”.
How does Wahroonga Place Care Community spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Wahroonga Place Care Community spent $476.89 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $288.30 was 9% 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 ($71.72), administration ($33.39), and cleaning and laundry ($32.29) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($168) and registered nurses ($67.35).
