Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Melton South is 3.82 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
83% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
83% positive in 2026, compared with 45% in 2025: 38 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Support for independence is below the survey average
64% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% 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 | 96.24% | 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 | 87.17% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Estia Health Melton South?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Melton South for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 94% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 88.1% average across other homes by 5.9 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 64% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%. Altogether, answers on 3 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 35% answered “always”, 29% “most of the time” and 35% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 76% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Melton South answered “always” and 24% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Melton South provide?
Estia Health Melton South reported 238 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 10 minutes above its target of 228 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In three of the last four quarters, Estia Health Melton South met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 231 to 241.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 186 minutes, followed by registered nurses (47 minutes) and enrolled nurses (4 minutes). Estia Health Melton South 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 Melton South?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Melton South for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 45% in 2025. Another 12% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Melton South spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.29 per resident per day, 4% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Estia Health Melton South, 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”.
83% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Estia Health Melton South spend on resident care?
Total spending at Estia Health Melton South in the 2024–25 financial year was $433.53 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $285.46 was 8% above 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 ($49.86), accommodation and maintenance ($30.51), and cleaning and laundry ($27.49) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($158.25) and registered nurses ($68.18).
