Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Warrina Aged Care is 4.04 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
74% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
74% positive in 2026, compared with 57% in 2025: 17 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
87% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
86% 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.26% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 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 Warrina Aged Care provide?
In January to March 2026, Warrina Aged Care reported 220 minutes of care per resident per day, 12 minutes above its target of 208 minutes. Registered nurses provided 45 of those minutes, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
In three of the last four quarters, Warrina Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 207 to 220.
Who provides that care?
Of the 220 minutes, personal care workers provided 143 (65.0%), followed by registered nurses (45 minutes, 20.5%) and enrolled nurses (32 minutes, 14.5%). In the same quarter, Warrina Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Warrina Aged Care spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Warrina Aged Care in the 2024–25 financial year was $227.04 per resident per day, 14% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $424.60 per resident per day. 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 ($93.84), administration ($48.66), and cleaning and laundry ($16.61) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($119.88) and registered nurses ($46.09).
What is the food like at Warrina Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at Warrina Aged Care for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 57% in 2025. Another 20% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Warrina Aged Care spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.44 per resident per day, 57% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Warrina 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”.
74% 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 Warrina Aged Care?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Warrina Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether the home is well run, above the 88.1% average across other homes by 11.9 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether staff explain things to them (86% against 80.3%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 87% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.3%. In all, answers on 2 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?
On a visit, you can ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 60% answered “always”, 27% “most of the time” and 13% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Warrina Aged Care were asked whether they get the care they need, 40% answered “always” and 60% “most of the time”.
