Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Blakehurst is 3.6 out of 5, compared with 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 is above average, with lower reported spending
72% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.2% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
86% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Estia Health Blakehurst?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff treat them with respect, 81% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Blakehurst answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 95.4% average across other homes by 14.4 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (86% against 95.4%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (76% against 84.2%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.2%. In all, 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff are expected to treat residents. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect, 62% answered “always”, 19% “most of the time” and 19% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 67% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Blakehurst answered “always” and 24% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Estia Health Blakehurst?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 72% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Blakehurst said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share was also 72% in 2025. Another 24% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Food spending at Estia Health Blakehurst in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.26 per resident per day, 7% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Estia Health Blakehurst, 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”.
72% 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 Blakehurst provide?
Estia Health Blakehurst reported 225 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 2 minutes above its target of 223 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In three of the last four quarters, Estia Health Blakehurst met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 223 to 229.
Who provides that care?
Of the 225 minutes, personal care workers provided 179 (79.6%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 20.4%). In the same quarter, Estia Health Blakehurst also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Estia Health Blakehurst spend on resident care?
Total spending at Estia Health Blakehurst in the 2024–25 financial year was $428.66 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $262.34 was 1% 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 accommodation and maintenance ($59.27), administration ($51.12), and cleaning and laundry ($27.91) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($149.45) and registered nurses ($62.03).
