Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Kilbride is 3.93 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three 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 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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; 43% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
43% positive in 2026, compared with 57% in 2025: 14 percentage points lower.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Estia Health Kilbride?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 43% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Kilbride said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 24.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 57% in 2025. Another 23% answered “some of the time” and 33% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Kilbride spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.33 per resident per day, 18% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Estia Health Kilbride, 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”.
43% 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 Kilbride?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Kilbride for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.7 percentage points below the average of 92.7% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (80% against 88.1%) and whether staff explain things to them (73% against 80.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
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%. Altogether, 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?
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, 83% answered “always”, 3% “some of the time” and 13% “never”; none answered “most of the time”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Kilbride were asked whether they feel safe, 80% answered “always” and 10% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 80% answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Kilbride provide?
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Kilbride reported 236 minutes of care per resident per day, matching its target of 236 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In one of the last four quarters, Estia Health Kilbride met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 225 to 236.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 189 of the 236 minutes (80.1%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 19.9%). In the same quarter, Estia Health Kilbride also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Estia Health Kilbride spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Estia Health Kilbride spent $396.97 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 66.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.76 was in line with 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 ($51.67), accommodation and maintenance ($33.44), and cleaning and laundry ($21.68) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($161.78) and registered nurses ($62.19).
