Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne is 4.01 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 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
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 191 vs 189 minutes; registered nurses: 13 vs 40 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.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.4% across other homes.
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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 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 | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 50% of residents surveyed at Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 17.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 59% in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
Food spending at Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne in January to March 2026 was $24 per resident per day, 50% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.57 per resident per day, 104% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 46% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
50% 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 Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they have a say in their daily activities, 83% of residents surveyed at Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 92.7% average across other homes by 9.7 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they feel safe (91% against 96.3%) and whether staff are kind and caring (91% against 95.4%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. 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?
On a visit, you can ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 83% answered “always” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “most of the time” or “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne were asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
How does Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne spend on resident care?
Total spending at Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne in the 2024–25 financial year was $582.23 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 49.0% of it. Care and nursing spending of $285.51 was 8% 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?
Other categories included administration ($130.43), accommodation and maintenance ($40.55), and cleaning and laundry ($38.21) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($107.58) and enrolled nurses ($103.15).
How much care and nursing does Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne provide?
Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne reported 191 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 2 minutes above its target of 189 minutes. Of those minutes, 13 came from registered nurses, 27 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 40.
In none of the last four quarters did Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 184 to 194 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 191 minutes, enrolled nurses provided 90 (47.1%), followed by personal care workers (88 minutes, 46.1%) and registered nurses (13 minutes, 6.8%). Wintringham Hostel - Port Melbourne also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
