Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Banawah is 4.07 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 252 minutes against a 216-minute daily care target; RN time is 113 against 44.
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
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
67% positive in 2026, compared with 92% in 2025: 25 percentage points lower.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Banawah provide?
In January to March 2026, Banawah reported 252 minutes of care per resident per day, 36 minutes above its target of 216 minutes. Of those minutes, 113 came from registered nurses, 69 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Banawah 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 236 to 269.
Who provides that care?
Enrolled nurses provided 133 of the 252 minutes (52.8%), followed by registered nurses (113 minutes, 44.8%) and personal care workers (6 minutes, 2.4%). In the same quarter, Banawah also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Banawah spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Banawah in the 2024–25 financial year was $312.95 per resident per day, 18% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $602.27 per resident per day. 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 accommodation and maintenance ($115.01), cleaning and laundry ($71.22) and administration ($24.16) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($151.87) and enrolled nurses ($117.46).
What is the food like at Banawah?
When residents surveyed at Banawah for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 25 percentage points lower than the 92% recorded in 2025. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at Banawah 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 $0.58 per resident per day, 107% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Banawah, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
67% 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 Banawah?
When residents surveyed at Banawah for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff are kind and caring, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 95.4% average across other homes by 12.4 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (75% against 87.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (83% against 92.7%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%.
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% “some of the time” and 8% “never”; none answered “most of the time”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Banawah were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 83% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
