Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Kogarah is 3.71 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
71% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 232 vs 229 minutes; registered nurses: 44 vs 46 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 | 95.36% | 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 | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Estia Health Kogarah?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 71% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Kogarah said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 3.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 72% in 2025. Another 21% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Kogarah spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.38 per resident per day, 36% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Estia Health Kogarah, 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”.
71% 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 Kogarah?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Kogarah answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 87.1% average across other homes by 12.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether the home is well run (93% against 88.1%).
On 6 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Estia Health Kogarah were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 93% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Kogarah answered “always” and 7% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 93% answered “always”.
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Kogarah provide?
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Kogarah reported 232 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 229 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 46.
Estia Health Kogarah met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 230 to 232.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 188 of the 232 minutes (81.0%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 19.0%). Estia Health Kogarah also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Estia Health Kogarah spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Estia Health Kogarah spent $443.32 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $258.62 was 2% 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($53.67), administration ($53.11), and cleaning and laundry ($37.06) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($160.18) and registered nurses ($57.60).
