Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe is 3.67 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 221 minutes against a 215-minute daily care target; RN time is 45 against 44.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
74% positive in 2025, compared with 87% in 2024: 13 percentage points lower.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
65% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% 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: 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 | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe provide?
In January to March 2026, ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe reported 221 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes above its target of 215 minutes. Of those minutes, 45 came from registered nurses, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 44.
ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 216 to 226 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 154 of the 221 minutes (69.7%), followed by registered nurses (45 minutes, 20.4%) and enrolled nurses (22 minutes, 10.0%). ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe also reported spending on physiotherapists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 16.8 percentage points below the average of 81.8% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (73% against 88.6%) and whether staff know what they are doing (78% against 89.5%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 96% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 22% answered “always”, 43% “most of the time” and 35% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 87% of residents surveyed at ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe answered “always” and 9% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 52% answered “always” and 39% “most of the time”.
How does ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe spend on resident care?
Total spending at ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe in the 2024–25 financial year was $396.23 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $243.84 was 8% below 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 administration ($61.50), accommodation and maintenance ($26.55), and cleaning and laundry ($23.46) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($131.68) and registered nurses ($38.23).
What is the food like at ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 74% of residents surveyed at ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 3.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 87% in 2024. Another 17% answered “some of the time” and 9% “never”.
In January to March 2026, ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.36 per resident per day, 29% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
ACH Group Residential Care - Highercombe reports that breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 36% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
74% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
