Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Eldercare Sash Ferguson is 3.93 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 221 minutes against a 221-minute daily care target; RN time is 45 against 45.
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
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% 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: 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 | 95.35% | 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 | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Eldercare Sash Ferguson?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Eldercare Sash Ferguson answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 87.1% average across other homes by 12.9 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 80.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 92.7%. 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 how residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 69% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 77% of residents surveyed at Eldercare Sash Ferguson answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 46% answered “always” and 54% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Eldercare Sash Ferguson?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 69% of residents surveyed at Eldercare Sash Ferguson said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share fell from 77% in 2025. Another 23% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at Eldercare Sash Ferguson in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.53 per resident per day, 89% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Eldercare Sash Ferguson 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”.
69% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Eldercare Sash Ferguson provide?
Eldercare Sash Ferguson reported 221 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, matching its target of 221 minutes. Of those minutes, 45 came from registered nurses, matching the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Eldercare Sash Ferguson met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 225.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 152 of the 221 minutes (68.8%), followed by registered nurses (45 minutes, 20.4%) and enrolled nurses (24 minutes, 10.9%). Eldercare Sash Ferguson also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Eldercare Sash Ferguson spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Eldercare Sash Ferguson spent $433.23 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $271.70 was 3% above 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($65.92), accommodation and maintenance ($30.27), and cleaning and laundry ($20.16) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($143.99) and registered nurses ($67.09).
