Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home is 3.86 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 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.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 197 vs 202 minutes; registered nurses: 66 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
75% positive in 2026, compared with 92% in 2025: 17 percentage points lower.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 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 | 87.15% | 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 | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home provide?
Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home reported 197 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes below its target of 202 minutes. Of those minutes, 66 came from registered nurses, 24 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 197 to 219.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, enrolled nurses provided 70 minutes, followed by registered nurses (66 minutes) and personal care workers (62 minutes). Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $384.53 per resident per day, 45% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $633.70 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 ($81.83), accommodation and maintenance ($58.33), and cleaning and laundry ($36.12) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($130.13) and enrolled nurses ($94.82).
What is the food like at Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 75% of residents surveyed at Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 7.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 92% in 2025. Another 25% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.15 per resident per day, 46% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Darlingford Upper Goulburn 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”.
75% 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 Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 75% of residents surveyed at Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time”, 5.3 percentage points below the average of 80.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (91% against 95.4%) and whether they feel safe (92% against 96.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. 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 explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 67% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time”, 17% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Darlingford Upper Goulburn Nursing Home were asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always”.
