Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Bankstown is 3.6 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
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
71% positive in 2025, compared with 20% in 2024: 51 percentage points higher.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
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
78% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
82% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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 | 3.07 | 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 | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Estia Health Bankstown?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 71% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Bankstown said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 51 percentage points higher than the 20% recorded in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Bankstown spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.37 per resident per day, 32% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Estia Health Bankstown 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”.
71% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Estia Health Bankstown spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Estia Health Bankstown spent $390.99 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $244.44 was 8% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($51.85), accommodation and maintenance ($34.77), and cleaning and laundry ($26.42) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($149) and registered nurses ($60.42).
What do residents say about Estia Health Bankstown?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 100% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Bankstown answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 89.5% average across other homes by 10.5 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (96% against 88.6%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (97% against 93.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 78% 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, 39% answered “always”, 39% “most of the time” and 21% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Bankstown were asked whether they feel safe, 75% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 54% answered “always” and 39% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Bankstown provide?
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Bankstown reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 225 minutes. Registered nurses provided 45 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 45.
In three of the last four quarters, Estia Health Bankstown met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 229 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 228 minutes, personal care workers provided 183 (80.3%), followed by registered nurses (45 minutes, 19.7%). Estia Health Bankstown also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
