Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Waverley Valley Care Community is 3.19 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
80% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $11 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
80% positive in 2025, compared with 67% in 2024: 13 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 221 vs 233 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 46 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
Where is Waverley Valley Care Community?
Waverley Valley Care Community is at 29-33 Chesterville Road, Glen Waverley. The closest named places on OpenStreetMap are Glen Waverley North Reserve (90 m), Myers Ave/High Street Rd (430 m) and Woolworths (780 m). Every distance here is a straight line from the home’s mapped location, not a road route.
The nearest hospital is Peter James Centre, 1.9 km away. The closest GP or medical centre is Glenmount Medical Clinic, at 830 m. The nearest pharmacy, Chemist Warehouse, is 790 m from the home. These distances matter most for residents who keep appointments outside the home, so it is worth asking how transport to them is arranged.
The nearest bus stop, Myers Ave/High Street Rd, is 430 m from the home. The closest train station is Syndal, 1.1 km away. For everyday errands, Woolworths supermarket is 780 m away and The Glen is 940 m. For visitors and outings, Glen Waverley North Reserve is 90 m away, Glen Waverley Public Library is 1.5 km and Redeemer Lutheran Church is 830 m.
Which facilities are closest?
- ParkGlen Waverley North Reserve90 m
- Bus stopMyers Ave/High Street Rd430 m
- SupermarketWoolworths780 m
- PharmacyChemist Warehouse790 m
- GP or medical centreGlenmount Medical Clinic830 m
The four closest, on the map
Pins 1 to 4 are the four closest facilities, in the same order as the list.
Sources and Explanation
Each place is the nearest named facility of its kind on OpenStreetMap, measured in a straight line from the home’s mapped location. These are not walking or driving times, and the map may miss newer or unnamed places; check the route before relying on a distance.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, read 25 September 2026.
How much care and nursing does Waverley Valley Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Waverley Valley Care Community reported 221 minutes of care per resident per day, 12 minutes below its target of 233 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 6 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 46.
Waverley Valley Care Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 232.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 150 of the 221 minutes (67.9%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 18.1%) and enrolled nurses (31 minutes, 14.0%). In the same quarter, Waverley Valley Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Waverley Valley Care Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 80% of residents surveyed at Waverley Valley Care Community said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 9.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 67% in 2024. Another 20% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Waverley Valley Care Community spent $11 per resident per day on food, 31% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.20 per resident per day, 29% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Waverley Valley 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”.
80% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Waverley Valley Care Community spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Waverley Valley Care Community spent $293.18 per resident per day on care and nursing, 11% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $456.86 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 ($62.04), cleaning and laundry ($32.32) and administration ($28.59) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.94) and registered nurses ($60.23).
What do residents say about Waverley Valley Care Community?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 90% of residents surveyed at Waverley Valley Care Community answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, above the 85.2% average across other homes by 4.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%) and whether staff are kind and caring (100% against 96.0%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.3%. 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 who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 47% answered “always”, 37% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Waverley Valley Care Community were asked whether they feel safe, 70% answered “always” and 30% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 67% answered “always” and 30% “most of the time”.
