Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Whiddon Maclean is 3.93 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 224 vs 223 minutes; registered nurses: 44 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
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 | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.18% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Whiddon Maclean?
When residents surveyed at Whiddon Maclean for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 85% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share fell from 86% in 2024. Another 15% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Whiddon Maclean in January to March 2026 was $28 per resident per day, 75% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.16 per resident per day, 43% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Whiddon Maclean, 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”.
85% 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 Whiddon Maclean?
When residents surveyed at Whiddon Maclean for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 85.2% average across other homes by 14.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 88.6%) and whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Whiddon Maclean, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Whiddon Maclean were asked whether they feel safe, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 77% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Whiddon Maclean, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How much care and nursing does Whiddon Maclean provide?
In January to March 2026, Whiddon Maclean reported 224 minutes of care per resident per day, 1 minute above its target of 223 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In two of the last four quarters, Whiddon Maclean met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 224 to 229.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 173 of the 224 minutes (77.2%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 19.6%) and enrolled nurses (7 minutes, 3.1%). Whiddon Maclean also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Whiddon Maclean spend on resident care?
Total spending at Whiddon Maclean in the 2024–25 financial year was $446.24 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $270.04 was 2% above the sector median of $264.85. 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 ($46.86), administration ($44.60), and cleaning and laundry ($27.60) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($160.43) and registered nurses ($80.64).
