Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Cohuna District Nursing Home is 4.7 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.2% 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.
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
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
88% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
88% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.46% | 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 | 70.24% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Cohuna District Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Cohuna District Nursing Home reported 306 minutes of care per resident per day, 101 minutes above its target of 205 minutes. Of those minutes, 96 came from registered nurses, 54 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Who provides that care?
Of the 306 minutes, enrolled nurses provided 190 (62.1%), followed by registered nurses (96 minutes, 31.4%) and personal care workers (20 minutes, 6.5%). In the same quarter, Cohuna District Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Cohuna District Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Cohuna District Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 29.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 63% in 2024.
In January to March 2026, Cohuna District Nursing Home spent $23 per resident per day on food, 44% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $5.97 per resident per day, 2032% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Cohuna District Nursing Home reports that 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”.
100% 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 Cohuna District Nursing Home?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 101% of residents surveyed at Cohuna District Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.4 percentage points above the average of 88.6% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 88% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.5%. 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 what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. Of residents asked whether they feel safe, 88% answered “always” and 13% “never”; none answered “most of the time” or “some of the time”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 100% of residents surveyed at Cohuna District Nursing Home answered “always”.
How does Cohuna District Nursing Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Cohuna District Nursing Home spent $388.69 per resident per day on care and nursing, 47% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $846.18 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 administration ($206.44), accommodation and maintenance ($96.05), and cleaning and laundry ($58.70) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($152.54) and enrolled nurses ($149.40).
