Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Aldgate is 4.12 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 222 minutes against a 219-minute daily care target; RN time is 57 against 45.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$13 a day vs a $16 sector median; 58% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
66% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% 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 | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 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 | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Estia Health Aldgate?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 66% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Aldgate answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 81.8% average across other homes by 15.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (75% against 88.6%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (75% against 85.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%. 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, 8% answered “always”, 58% “most of the time”, 25% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 67% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Aldgate answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 33% answered “always” and 58% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Estia Health Aldgate?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 58% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Aldgate 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 67% in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Aldgate spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.45 per resident per day, 61% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Estia Health Aldgate 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”.
58% 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 Estia Health Aldgate provide?
Estia Health Aldgate reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 219 minutes. Of those minutes, 57 came from registered nurses, 12 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Estia Health Aldgate met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 224.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 163 of the 222 minutes (73.4%), followed by registered nurses (57 minutes, 25.7%) and enrolled nurses (2 minutes, 0.9%). Estia Health Aldgate also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Estia Health Aldgate spend on resident care?
Total spending at Estia Health Aldgate in the 2024–25 financial year was $418.06 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $256.41 was 3% below 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 ($54.23), accommodation and maintenance ($41.28), and cleaning and laundry ($17.63) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($128.77) and registered nurses ($83.78).
