Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Homewood Nursing Home is 4.3 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
75% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Homewood Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 94% of residents surveyed at Homewood Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 12.2 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 88.6%) and whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%).
At Homewood Nursing Home, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on 9 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Homewood Nursing Home were asked whether they feel safe, 69% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 69% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Homewood Nursing Home was 101% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at Homewood Nursing Home?
When residents surveyed at Homewood Nursing Home for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 80% in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Homewood Nursing Home in January to March 2026 was $13 per resident per day, 19% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.14 per resident per day, 50% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Homewood Nursing Home 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”.
75% 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 Homewood Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Homewood Nursing Home reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 1 minute above its target of 221 minutes. Of those minutes, 51 came from registered nurses, 7 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In three of the last four quarters, Homewood Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 223.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 170 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (51 minutes). In the same quarter, Homewood Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Homewood Nursing Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Homewood Nursing Home spent $444.29 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $263.94 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($83.73), administration ($48.65), and cleaning and laundry ($25.59) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($169.60) and registered nurses ($53.17).
