Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Estia Health Myrtle Bank is 3.6 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staff communication is a relative strength
87% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 228 vs 227 minutes; registered nurses: 44 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
73% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% 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.
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 | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Estia Health Myrtle Bank?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 73% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Myrtle Bank answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff know what they are doing, 16.5 percentage points below the average of 89.5% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (74% against 88.6%) and whether they feel safe (87% against 96.5%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 87% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 40% answered “always”, 33% “most of the time” and 27% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 60% of residents surveyed at Estia Health Myrtle Bank answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Estia Health Myrtle Bank?
When residents surveyed at Estia Health Myrtle Bank for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 73% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 67% in 2024. Another 20% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Estia Health Myrtle Bank spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.37 per resident per day, 32% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Estia Health Myrtle Bank, 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”.
73% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Estia Health Myrtle Bank spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Estia Health Myrtle Bank spent $393.50 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.0% of it. Care and nursing spending of $239.98 was 9% 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($50.57), accommodation and maintenance ($38.51), and cleaning and laundry ($26.57) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($123.75) and registered nurses ($57.99).
How much care and nursing does Estia Health Myrtle Bank provide?
Estia Health Myrtle Bank reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 227 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In two of the last four quarters, Estia Health Myrtle Bank met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 226 to 230 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 166 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (44 minutes) and enrolled nurses (17 minutes). Estia Health Myrtle Bank also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
