Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Maroochydore is 4 out of 5, against 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
88% enjoy meals vs 70.2% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 212 minutes against a 209-minute daily care target; RN time is 46 against 43.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 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 | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Estia Health Maroochydore?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Maroochydore for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 88% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 17.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 86% in 2024. Another 13% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Maroochydore spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% 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?
According to Estia Health Maroochydore, 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”.
88% 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 Maroochydore?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Maroochydore for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.7 percentage points above the average of 89.3% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 85.2%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.5%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. Of residents asked whether they feel safe, 75% answered “always”, 17% “most of the time” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 58% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Maroochydore answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Maroochydore provide?
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Maroochydore reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 209 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Estia Health Maroochydore met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 208 to 212 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 212 minutes, personal care workers provided 160 (75.5%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 21.7%) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes, 2.8%). Estia Health Maroochydore also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Estia Health Maroochydore spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Estia Health Maroochydore spent $404.87 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $239.28 was 10% 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?
Other categories included administration ($53.01), accommodation and maintenance ($44.45), and cleaning and laundry ($25.58) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($131.18) and registered nurses ($67.78).
