Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Horton House is 4.26 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is 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.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
69% positive in 2026, compared with 83% in 2025: 14 percentage points lower.
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 | 95.35% | 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 | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Horton House?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 100% of residents surveyed at Horton House answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 80.2% average across other homes by 19.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes 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%).
At Horton House, 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 Horton House were asked whether they feel safe, 77% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 100% answered “always”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Horton House, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How much care and nursing does Horton House provide?
In January to March 2026, Horton House reported 236 minutes of care per resident per day, 10 minutes above its target of 226 minutes. Registered nurses provided 46 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In two of the last four quarters, Horton House met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 225 to 239 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 190 of the 236 minutes (80.5%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 19.5%). In the same quarter, Horton House also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Horton House spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Horton House spent $306.32 per resident per day on care and nursing, 16% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $504.79 per resident per day. 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 ($71.02), accommodation and maintenance ($58.07), and cleaning and laundry ($30.04) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($173.12) and registered nurses ($67.56).
What is the food like at Horton House?
When residents surveyed at Horton House for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 14 percentage points lower than the 83% recorded in 2025. Another 31% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Horton House in January to March 2026 was $12 per resident per day, 25% 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?
According to Horton House, 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.
