Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Iona Digby Harris Home is 4.37 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two 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 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 339 minutes against a 210-minute daily care target; RN time is 129 against 43.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Support for independence is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% 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: 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 | 95.86% | 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 | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.24% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Iona Digby Harris Home provide?
Iona Digby Harris Home reported 339 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 129 minutes above its target of 210 minutes. Of those minutes, 129 came from registered nurses, 86 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Iona Digby Harris Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 320 to 366.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, registered nurses provided 129 minutes, followed by enrolled nurses (111 minutes) and personal care workers (98 minutes). Iona Digby Harris Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Iona Digby Harris Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 92% of residents surveyed at Iona Digby Harris Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 21.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share fell from 100% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Iona Digby Harris Home spent $22 per resident per day on food, 38% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $1.34 per resident per day, 379% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Iona Digby Harris 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”.
92% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Iona Digby Harris Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Iona Digby Harris Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $464.61 per resident per day, 75% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $788.59 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($125.07), administration ($75.98), and cleaning and laundry ($49.16) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($200.16) and enrolled nurses ($129.23).
What do residents say about Iona Digby Harris Home?
When residents surveyed at Iona Digby Harris Home for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.7 percentage points above the average of 89.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 81.8%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 85.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. In all, answers on 2 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 residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 42% answered “always”, 42% “most of the time” and 17% “never”; none answered “some of the time”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 83% of residents surveyed at Iona Digby Harris Home answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
