Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Wakefield Aged Care Service is 4.67 out of 5, against 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 consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 317 minutes against a 217-minute daily care target; RN time is 112 against 43.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Support for independence is below the survey average
66% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% 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: 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 | 3.06 | 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 | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.24% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Wakefield Aged Care Service provide?
Wakefield Aged Care Service reported 317 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 100 minutes above its target of 217 minutes. Registered nurses provided 112 of those minutes, 69 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Wakefield Aged Care Service met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 258 to 317.
Who provides that care?
Enrolled nurses provided 153 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (112 minutes) and personal care workers (53 minutes). In the same quarter, Wakefield Aged Care Service also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Wakefield Aged Care Service?
When residents surveyed at Wakefield Aged Care Service for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 18.2 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. In all, answers on 3 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?
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, 50% answered “always”, 17% “most of the time”, 17% “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 100% of residents surveyed at Wakefield Aged Care Service answered “always”.
What is the food like at Wakefield Aged Care Service?
When residents surveyed at Wakefield Aged Care Service for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 29.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 78% in 2024.
Food spending at Wakefield Aged Care Service in January to March 2026 was $35 per resident per day, 119% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $2.05 per resident per day, 632% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Wakefield Aged Care Service, 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”.
100% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Wakefield Aged Care Service spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Wakefield Aged Care Service in the 2024–25 financial year was $365.76 per resident per day, 38% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $616.78 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 ($86.92), cleaning and laundry ($55.02), and accommodation and maintenance ($17.19) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($164.11) and enrolled nurses ($122.94).
