Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Golden Grove is 3.75 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
89% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$13 a day vs a $16 sector median; 53% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 228 vs 227 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Estia Health Golden Grove?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 53% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Golden Grove said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 14.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share rose from 50% in 2025. Another 32% answered “some of the time” and 16% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Golden Grove spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.32 per resident per day, 14% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Estia Health Golden Grove 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”.
53% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Estia Health Golden Grove?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they get the care they need, 100% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Golden Grove answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 94.4% average across other homes by 5.6 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (89% against 84.2%) and whether they feel safe (100% against 96.2%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%. In all, 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?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 53% answered “always”, 21% “most of the time” and 26% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Estia Health Golden Grove, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 85% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How does Estia Health Golden Grove spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Estia Health Golden Grove spent $380.81 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $240.94 was 9% 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($51.35), accommodation and maintenance ($30.11), and cleaning and laundry ($26.09) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($140.06) and registered nurses ($52.37).
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Golden Grove provide?
Estia Health Golden Grove reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 227 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Estia Health Golden Grove met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 227 to 233.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 174 of the 228 minutes (76.3%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 17.5%) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes, 6.1%). Estia Health Golden Grove also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
