Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Wheatfields Incorporated is 3.38 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
Following up concerns is above the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 210 vs 217 minutes; registered nurses: 46 vs 43 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.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.26% | 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 | 67.34% | 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 Wheatfields Incorporated provide?
In January to March 2026, Wheatfields Incorporated reported 210 minutes of care per resident per day, 7 minutes below its target of 217 minutes. Registered nurses provided 46 of those minutes, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
Wheatfields Incorporated met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 210 to 240.
Who provides that care?
Of the 210 minutes, personal care workers provided 118 (56.2%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 21.9%) and enrolled nurses (46 minutes, 21.9%). Wheatfields Incorporated also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Wheatfields Incorporated?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 92% of residents surveyed at Wheatfields Incorporated answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, above the 84.2% average across other homes by 7.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.3%. Altogether, 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 what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 58% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Wheatfields Incorporated, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 92% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
How does Wheatfields Incorporated spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Wheatfields Incorporated spent $292.66 per resident per day on care and nursing, 11% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $478.91 per resident per day. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($51.06), cleaning and laundry ($46.21) and administration ($30.39) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($131.04) and registered nurses ($58.76).
What is the food like at Wheatfields Incorporated?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 67% of residents surveyed at Wheatfields Incorporated said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share fell from 75% in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Wheatfields Incorporated in January to March 2026 was $18 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.53 per resident per day, 89% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Wheatfields Incorporated, 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”.
67% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
