Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Walmsley Aged Care is 3.78 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
78% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
78% positive in 2026, compared with 67% in 2025: 11 percentage points higher.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 217 vs 211 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
74% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Walmsley Aged Care provide?
Walmsley Aged Care reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 6 minutes above its target of 211 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Walmsley Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 217 to 226.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 170 of the 217 minutes (78.3%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 19.4%) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes, 2.3%). Walmsley Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Walmsley Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at Walmsley Aged Care for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 67% in 2025. Another 17% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Food spending at Walmsley Aged Care in January to March 2026 was $13 per resident per day, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.34 per resident per day, 21% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Walmsley 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”.
78% 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 Walmsley Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at Walmsley Aged Care for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 96% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 8.9 percentage points above the average of 87.1% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (96% against 88.1%) and whether staff know what they are doing (96% against 89.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 48% answered “always”, 26% “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 Walmsley Aged Care were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 78% answered “always” and 22% “most of the time”.
How does Walmsley Aged Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Walmsley Aged Care spent $502.96 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 57.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $290.55 was 10% 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?
Other categories included administration ($74.29), accommodation and maintenance ($68.17), and cleaning and laundry ($25.54) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($169.64) and registered nurses ($55.45).
