Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Epping VIC is 4.23 out of 5, compared with 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 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 232 minutes against a 227-minute daily care target; RN time is 49 against 46.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 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; 62% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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 | 3.06 | 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 | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Epping VIC provide?
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Epping VIC reported 232 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 227 minutes. Of those minutes, 49 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 46.
Estia Health Epping VIC met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 232 to 245.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 181 minutes, followed by registered nurses (49 minutes) and enrolled nurses (1 minute). Estia Health Epping VIC 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 Epping VIC?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Epping VIC for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 62% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 8.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 57% in 2024. Another 31% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Epping VIC spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.43 per resident per day, 54% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Estia Health Epping VIC 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”.
62% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Estia Health Epping VIC spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Estia Health Epping VIC in the 2024–25 financial year was $292.40 per resident per day, 10% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $480.06 per resident per day. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($66.79), administration ($53.10), and cleaning and laundry ($27) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($156.09) and registered nurses ($79.96).
What do residents say about Estia Health Epping VIC?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Epping VIC for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 85.2% average across other homes by 7.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%), 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: 85% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%.
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, 23% answered “always”, 62% “most of the time” and 15% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Epping VIC were asked whether they feel safe, 77% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
