Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Golden Oaks Nursing Home is 3.97 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 223 minutes against a 213-minute daily care target; RN time is 82 against 43.
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% 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.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% 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 | 3.06 | 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 | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Golden Oaks Nursing Home provide?
Golden Oaks Nursing Home reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 10 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Registered nurses provided 82 of those minutes, 39 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
Golden Oaks Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 217 to 234.
Who provides that care?
Of the 223 minutes, enrolled nurses provided 135 (60.5%), followed by registered nurses (82 minutes, 36.8%) and personal care workers (6 minutes, 2.7%). Golden Oaks Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Golden Oaks Nursing Home?
When residents surveyed at Golden Oaks Nursing Home for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 80.2% average across other homes by 19.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (92% against 87.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 84.2%. In all, answers on 4 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 the home records and follows up concerns. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 54% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time” and 31% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Golden Oaks Nursing Home were asked whether they feel safe, 85% answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”.
How does Golden Oaks Nursing Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Golden Oaks Nursing Home spent $449.80 per resident per day on care and nursing, 70% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $683.72 per resident per day. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($81.41), administration ($73.70), and cleaning and laundry ($44.59) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to enrolled nurses ($174.96) and registered nurses ($122.35).
What is the food like at Golden Oaks Nursing Home?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 69% of residents surveyed at Golden Oaks Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share fell from 77% in 2025. Another 31% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Golden Oaks Nursing Home spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.66 per resident per day, 136% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Golden Oaks Nursing Home, 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”.
69% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
