Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home is 3.6 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. One finding stands 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.
Worth a closer look
Support for independence is below the survey average
46% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% 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.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.88% | 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 | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.62% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
What do residents say about ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 46% of residents surveyed at ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, below the 88.6% average across other homes by 42.6 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (69% against 95.9%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (77% against 93.2%).
At ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 9 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 38% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time”, 38% “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 62% of residents surveyed at ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 54% answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 53% of residents surveyed at ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 17.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. Another 38% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.05 per resident per day, 82% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home, 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”.
53% 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 ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home reported 232 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 227 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, matching the registered-nurse target of 46.
ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 227 to 259 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 185 minutes, followed by registered nurses (46 minutes). ANHF Thornleigh Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
