Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Westmont Homestead is 3.4 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
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Compliance rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
68% positive in 2026, compared with 80% in 2025: 12 percentage points lower.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 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: 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 | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Westmont Homestead?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Westmont Homestead answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 12.9 percentage points above the average of 87.1% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (96% against 84.2%) and whether staff explain things to them (92% against 80.2%).
On 7 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Westmont Homestead were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Westmont Homestead were asked whether they feel safe, 96% answered “always” and 4% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 84% answered “always” and 12% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Westmont Homestead was 96% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How much care and nursing does Westmont Homestead provide?
Westmont Homestead reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 217 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In one of the last four quarters, Westmont Homestead met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 222 to 229 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 222 minutes, personal care workers provided 166 (74.8%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 20.7%) and enrolled nurses (10 minutes, 4.5%). In the same quarter, Westmont Homestead also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Westmont Homestead?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 68% of residents surveyed at Westmont Homestead said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 12 percentage points lower than the 80% recorded in 2025. Another 32% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Westmont Homestead spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Westmont Homestead reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Westmont Homestead, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
68% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Westmont Homestead spend on resident care?
Total spending at Westmont Homestead in the 2024–25 financial year was $447.05 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $262.49 was 1% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Spending on other categories included administration ($49.55), accommodation and maintenance ($42.48), and cleaning and laundry ($36.77) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($157.44) and registered nurses ($62.36).
