Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Adelene Nursing Home is 3.67 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 210 minutes against a 208-minute daily care target; RN time is 47 against 43.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
62% positive in 2025, compared with 30% in 2024: 32 percentage points higher.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
39% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
54% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% 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 | 95.88% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.50% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.85% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Adelene Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 39% of residents surveyed at Adelene Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, below the 81.8% average across other homes by 42.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (54% against 89.5%) and whether staff treat them with respect (69% against 95.9%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. 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 staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 31% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time”, 46% “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Adelene Nursing Home were asked whether they feel safe, 62% answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 54% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Adelene Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 62% of residents surveyed at Adelene Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 8.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 30% in 2024. Another 23% answered “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Adelene Nursing Home spent $28 per resident per day on food, 75% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.34 per resident per day, 21% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Adelene Nursing Home, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 25% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
62% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Adelene Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Adelene Nursing Home reported 210 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 208 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Adelene Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 207 to 210 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 156 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (47 minutes) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes). Adelene Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Adelene Nursing Home spend on resident care?
Total spending at Adelene Nursing Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $483.44 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 56.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $272.27 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 administration ($54.25), accommodation and maintenance ($42.86), and cleaning and laundry ($41.21) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($142.48) and registered nurses ($73.36).
