Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Brimlea Aged Care is 3.71 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
76% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
76% positive in 2026, compared with 47% in 2025: 29 percentage points higher.
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
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 210 vs 217 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
88% 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 | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Brimlea Aged Care provide?
In January to March 2026, Brimlea Aged Care reported 210 minutes of care per resident per day, 7 minutes below its target of 217 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did Brimlea Aged Care meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 194 to 210.
Who provides that care?
Of the 210 minutes, personal care workers provided 161 (76.7%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 18.6%) and enrolled nurses (10 minutes, 4.8%). Brimlea Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Brimlea Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at Brimlea Aged Care for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 76% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 8.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 47% in 2025. Another 18% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Brimlea Aged Care spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.43 per resident per day, 54% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Brimlea Aged Care, 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”.
76% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Brimlea Aged Care spend on resident care?
Total spending at Brimlea Aged Care in the 2024–25 financial year was $390.80 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $240.56 was 9% below the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($54.68), administration ($34.33), and cleaning and laundry ($26.99) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($129.11) and registered nurses ($55.73).
What do residents say about Brimlea Aged Care?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff are kind and caring, 88% of residents surveyed at Brimlea Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 95.4% average across other homes by 7.4 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (82% against 89.1%) and whether staff treat them with respect (89% against 95.4%), 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 92.7%. 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?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff get to know each resident. Of residents asked whether staff are kind and caring, 53% answered “always”, 35% “most of the time” and 12% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 82% of residents surveyed at Brimlea Aged Care answered “always” and 18% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 65% answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”.
