Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) is 3.08 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Respectful treatment is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$13 a day vs a $16 sector median; 56% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 222 vs 217 minutes; registered nurses: 39 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St)?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 65% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.3 percentage points below the average of 80.3% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (74% against 88.1%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (73% against 84.2%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 26% answered “always”, 39% “most of the time” and 35% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 78% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 65% answered “always” and 26% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) provide?
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 217 minutes. Registered nurses provided 39 of those minutes, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 224 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 222 minutes, personal care workers provided 168 (75.7%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 17.6%) and enrolled nurses (15 minutes, 6.8%). Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St)?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 56% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 11.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 62% in 2025. Another 43% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.35 per resident per day, 25% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St), 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”.
56% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Estia Health Benalla (Thomas St) spent $442.52 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $279.41 was 5% above 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 ($56.74), accommodation and maintenance ($37.89), and cleaning and laundry ($29.03) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($145.11) and registered nurses ($67.86).
