Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Westgate Aged Care Facility is 4.01 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
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: 222 vs 225 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.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.37% | 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 | 80.25% | 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 does Westgate Aged Care Facility spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Westgate Aged Care Facility in the 2024–25 financial year was $175.21 per resident per day, 34% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $383.96 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 ($83.79), administration ($68.05), and cleaning and laundry ($34.49) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($110.62) and registered nurses ($49.34).
What is the food like at Westgate Aged Care Facility?
When residents surveyed at Westgate Aged Care Facility for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 92% in 2025. Another 17% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Westgate Aged Care Facility in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.12 per resident per day, 57% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Westgate Aged Care Facility, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 94% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
83% 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 Westgate Aged Care Facility?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff treat them with respect, 83% of residents surveyed at Westgate Aged Care Facility answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 95.4% average across other homes by 12.4 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (83% against 92.7%) and whether staff know what they are doing (84% against 89.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. Altogether, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff are expected to treat residents. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect, 58% answered “always”, 25% “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 Westgate Aged Care Facility were asked whether they feel safe, 75% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 67% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Westgate Aged Care Facility provide?
In January to March 2026, Westgate Aged Care Facility reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes below its target of 225 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Westgate Aged Care Facility met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 186 to 237 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 177 of the 222 minutes (79.7%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 18.5%) and enrolled nurses (4 minutes, 1.8%). In the same quarter, Westgate Aged Care Facility also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
