Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Daylesford Nursing Home is 4.52 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are 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.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 285 minutes against a 225-minute daily care target; RN time is 109 against 45.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
58% positive in 2025, compared with 91% in 2024: 33 percentage points lower.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
58% 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Daylesford Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Daylesford Nursing Home reported 285 minutes of care per resident per day, 60 minutes above its target of 225 minutes. Registered nurses provided 109 of those minutes, 64 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Daylesford Nursing Home 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 247 to 285.
Who provides that care?
Enrolled nurses provided 171 of the 285 minutes (60.0%), followed by registered nurses (109 minutes, 38.2%) and personal care workers (5 minutes, 1.8%). In the same quarter, Daylesford Nursing Home also reported spending on podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Daylesford Nursing Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Daylesford Nursing Home spent $387.91 per resident per day on care and nursing, 46% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $620.05 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($86.34), cleaning and laundry ($46.17) and administration ($37.58) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to enrolled nurses ($187.95) and registered nurses ($121.62).
What do residents say about Daylesford Nursing Home?
When residents surveyed at Daylesford Nursing Home for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 89.5% average across other homes by 10.5 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. Altogether, 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 67% answered “always” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “most of the time” or “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 67% of residents surveyed at Daylesford Nursing Home answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Daylesford Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 58% of residents surveyed at Daylesford Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 12.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 91% in 2024. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Daylesford Nursing Home spent $19 per resident per day on food, 19% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.73 per resident per day, 161% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Daylesford Nursing Home, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 95% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
58% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
