Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Holbrook Hostel is 5 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
92% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 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.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 223 minutes against a 197-minute daily care target; RN time is 79 against 41.
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 | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Holbrook Hostel provide?
Holbrook Hostel reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 26 minutes above its target of 197 minutes. Registered nurses provided 79 of those minutes, 38 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 41.
In each of the last four quarters, Holbrook Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 215 to 257 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 131 of the 223 minutes (58.7%), followed by registered nurses (79 minutes, 35.4%) and enrolled nurses (13 minutes, 5.8%). Holbrook Hostel also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Holbrook Hostel?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 100% of residents surveyed at Holbrook Hostel 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 staff follow up when they raise things (100% against 84.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 87.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Holbrook Hostel, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Holbrook Hostel were asked whether they feel safe, 100% answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Holbrook Hostel, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at Holbrook Hostel?
When residents surveyed at Holbrook Hostel for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 24.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 83% in 2025. Another 8% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Holbrook Hostel in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.09 per resident per day, 68% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Holbrook Hostel, 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”.
92% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Holbrook Hostel spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Holbrook Hostel spent $444.91 per resident per day on care and nursing, 68% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $655.77 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 administration ($80.94), accommodation and maintenance ($47.89), and cleaning and laundry ($36.12) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($222.70) and personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($179.07).
