Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel is 4.48 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 186 minutes against a 179-minute daily care target; RN time is 66 against 38.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
5 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel provide?
Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel reported 186 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 7 minutes above its target of 179 minutes. Registered nurses provided 66 of those minutes, 28 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 38.
In each of the last four quarters, Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 186 to 211 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 117 minutes, followed by registered nurses (66 minutes) and enrolled nurses (2 minutes). Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel also reported spending on speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel?
When residents surveyed at Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 80.2% average across other homes by 19.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (100% against 84.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 87.1%).
At Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel, 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 Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel were asked whether they feel safe, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 100% answered “always”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How does Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel spend on resident care?
Total spending at Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel in the 2024–25 financial year was $577.13 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 49.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $286.55 was 8% 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?
Other categories included administration ($132.60), cleaning and laundry ($65.75), and accommodation and maintenance ($52.68) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($115.13) and registered nurses ($109.45).
What is the food like at Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 75% of residents surveyed at Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 7.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 83% in 2025. Another 25% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above 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 Willoughby Retirement Community Hostel, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 14% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
75% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
