Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Avoca Nursing Home is 4.7 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 235 minutes against a 194-minute daily care target; RN time is 104 against 40.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
83% positive in 2026, compared with 100% in 2025: 17 percentage points lower.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
91% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 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 | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Avoca Nursing Home provide?
Avoca Nursing Home reported 235 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 41 minutes above its target of 194 minutes. Registered nurses provided 104 of those minutes, 64 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 40.
Avoca Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 214 to 247.
Who provides that care?
Registered nurses provided 104 of the 235 minutes (44.3%), followed by enrolled nurses (92 minutes, 39.1%) and personal care workers (39 minutes, 16.6%). In the same quarter, Avoca Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Avoca Nursing Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Avoca Nursing Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $359.99 per resident per day, 36% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $629.32 per resident per day. 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 accommodation and maintenance ($117.12), cleaning and laundry ($62.45) and administration ($53.11) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($175.47) and enrolled nurses ($94.33).
What is the food like at Avoca Nursing Home?
When residents surveyed at Avoca Nursing Home for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 100% in 2025. Another 17% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Avoca Nursing Home in January to March 2026 was $21 per resident per day, 31% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.01 per resident per day, 96% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Avoca 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”.
83% 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 Avoca Nursing Home?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Avoca Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 87.1% average across other homes by 12.9 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 80.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 91% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%. In all, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff get to know each resident. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring, 83% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Avoca Nursing Home were asked whether they feel safe, 92% answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always”.
