Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Merrylands is 3.6 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
How well the home is run is above the survey average
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
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 feel they have a say in daily life
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Estia Health Merrylands?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 81% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Merrylands answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 11.7 percentage points below the average of 92.7% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they get the care they need (85% against 94.4%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (76% against 84.2%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%. In all, answers on 3 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. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 76% answered “always”, 5% “most of the time” and 19% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Merrylands were asked whether they feel safe, 81% answered “always” and 19% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Estia Health Merrylands?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Merrylands for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 63% in 2025. Another 24% answered “some of the time” and 10% “never”.
Food spending at Estia Health Merrylands in January to March 2026 was $13 per resident per day, 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?
Estia Health Merrylands 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”.
67% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Merrylands provide?
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Merrylands reported 227 minutes of care per resident per day, matching its target of 227 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In two of the last four quarters, Estia Health Merrylands met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 212 to 227.
Who provides that care?
Of the 227 minutes, personal care workers provided 180 (79.3%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 20.7%). In the same quarter, Estia Health Merrylands also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Estia Health Merrylands spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Estia Health Merrylands spent $407.84 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $263.62 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($52.76), accommodation and maintenance ($34.42), and cleaning and laundry ($21.97) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($148.68) and registered nurses ($78.07).
