Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bairnsdale Regional Health Service is 4.52 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
66% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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: 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 | 95.86% | 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 | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.18% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Bairnsdale Regional Health Service provide?
In January to March 2026, Bairnsdale Regional Health Service reported 230 minutes of care per resident per day, 40 minutes above its target of 190 minutes. Registered nurses provided 56 of those minutes, 16 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 40.
Bairnsdale Regional Health Service met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 194 to 230.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 115 of the 230 minutes (50.0%), followed by enrolled nurses (59 minutes, 25.7%) and registered nurses (56 minutes, 24.3%). In the same quarter, Bairnsdale Regional Health Service also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Bairnsdale Regional Health Service?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% of residents surveyed at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service answered “always” or “most of the time”, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 85.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 88.6%) and whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 100% of residents surveyed at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service?
When residents surveyed at Bairnsdale Regional Health Service for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 66% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 75% in 2024. Another 33% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bairnsdale Regional Health Service spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.03 per resident per day, 89% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bairnsdale Regional Health Service reports that breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 14% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
66% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bairnsdale Regional Health Service spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bairnsdale Regional Health Service spent $538.32 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 49.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $267.97 was 1% 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 ($104.80), accommodation and maintenance ($79.95), and cleaning and laundry ($18.57) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($99.30) and registered nurses ($64.11).
