Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee is 4 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
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee provide?
IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee reported 233 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 12 minutes above its target of 221 minutes. Registered nurses provided 45 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In three of the last four quarters, IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 215 to 235.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 186 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (45 minutes) and enrolled nurses (1 minute). In the same quarter, IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists and dietitians.
How does IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee spent $234.98 per resident per day on care and nursing, 11% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $407.98 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 ($57.27), accommodation and maintenance ($41.17), and cleaning and laundry ($26.69) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.53) and registered nurses ($58.58).
What do residents say about IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 81% of residents surveyed at IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff know what they are doing, 8.5 percentage points below the average of 89.5% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (81% against 89.3%) and whether they get the care they need (90% against 94.5%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 53% answered “always”, 28% “most of the time”, 15% “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 91% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities and 85% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
What is the food like at IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 72% of residents surveyed at IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 64% in 2024. Another 19% answered “some of the time” and 9% “never”.
In January to March 2026, IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.36 per resident per day, 29% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to IRT Thomas Holt Kirrawee, 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”.
72% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
