Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Whiddon Weeronga is 3.89 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 248 minutes against a 226-minute daily care target; RN time is 74 against 46.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
66% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
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: 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 | 95.87% | 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 | 70.24% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Whiddon Weeronga provide?
In January to March 2026, Whiddon Weeronga reported 248 minutes of care per resident per day, 22 minutes above its target of 226 minutes. Of those minutes, 74 came from registered nurses, 28 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 46.
Whiddon Weeronga met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 237 to 248.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 174 of the 248 minutes (70.2%), followed by registered nurses (74 minutes, 29.8%). In the same quarter, Whiddon Weeronga also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Whiddon Weeronga?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 66% of residents surveyed at Whiddon Weeronga answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, below the 85.2% average across other homes by 19.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (83% against 95.9%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (83% against 93.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.5%. 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 the home records and follows up concerns. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 33% answered “always”, 33% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 75% of residents surveyed at Whiddon Weeronga answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Whiddon Weeronga?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 92% of residents surveyed at Whiddon Weeronga said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 21.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share was also 92% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Whiddon Weeronga spent $23 per resident per day on food, 44% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Whiddon Weeronga reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Whiddon Weeronga reports that 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”.
92% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Whiddon Weeronga spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Whiddon Weeronga spent $477.52 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 57.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $273.14 was 3% above 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 accommodation and maintenance ($52.07), administration ($51.98), and cleaning and laundry ($31.84) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($159.49) and registered nurses ($82.37).
