Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Dunolly Nursing Home is 5 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 342 minutes against a 213-minute daily care target; RN time is 178 against 43.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
How well the home is run is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
91% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
91% 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 | 3.06 | 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 | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.31% | 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 Dunolly Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Dunolly Nursing Home reported 342 minutes of care per resident per day, 129 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Registered nurses provided 178 of those minutes, 135 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Dunolly Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 293 to 342.
Who provides that care?
Of the 342 minutes, registered nurses provided 178 (52.0%), followed by enrolled nurses (143 minutes, 41.8%) and personal care workers (21 minutes, 6.1%). Dunolly Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Dunolly Nursing Home?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Dunolly Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 32.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 60% in 2025.
Food spending at Dunolly Nursing Home in January to March 2026 was $22 per resident per day, 38% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.21 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Dunolly 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 Dunolly Nursing Home?
When residents surveyed at Dunolly Nursing Home for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.8 percentage points above the average of 80.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.1%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%. Altogether, answers on 3 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 who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. Of residents asked whether the home is well run, 58% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 92% of residents surveyed at Dunolly Nursing Home answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always”.
How does Dunolly Nursing Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Dunolly Nursing Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $446.96 per resident per day, 69% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $733.96 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($118.56), cleaning and laundry ($72.28) and administration ($55.14) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($224.10) and enrolled nurses ($143.99).
