Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Kowree Nursing Home Unit is 3.97 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 101% 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 239 minutes against a 231-minute daily care target; RN time is 96 against 46.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
76% positive in 2026, compared with 59% in 2025: 17 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Support for independence is below the survey average
63% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
63% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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: 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 | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.18% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.24% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Kowree Nursing Home Unit?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 63% of residents surveyed at Kowree Nursing Home Unit answered “always” or “most of the time”, 24.2 percentage points below the average of 87.2% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (63% against 84.2%) and whether the home is well run (76% against 88.1%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 101% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.1%. Altogether, answers on 5 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 50% answered “always”, 13% “most of the time”, 13% “some of the time” and 25% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Kowree Nursing Home Unit were asked whether they feel safe, 88% answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Kowree Nursing Home Unit provide?
Kowree Nursing Home Unit reported 239 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 8 minutes above its target of 231 minutes. Of those minutes, 96 came from registered nurses, 50 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In each of the last four quarters, Kowree Nursing Home Unit met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 237 to 328 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Registered nurses provided 96 minutes per resident per day, followed by enrolled nurses (95 minutes) and personal care workers (47 minutes). Kowree Nursing Home Unit also reported spending on physiotherapists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Kowree Nursing Home Unit?
When residents surveyed at Kowree Nursing Home Unit for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 76% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 8.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 59% in 2025. Another 25% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Kowree Nursing Home Unit in January to March 2026 was $24 per resident per day, 50% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $1.69 per resident per day, 504% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Kowree Nursing Home Unit 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”.
76% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Kowree Nursing Home Unit spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Kowree Nursing Home Unit in the 2024–25 financial year was $376.94 per resident per day, 42% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $715.45 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 ($164.84), accommodation and maintenance ($112.61), and cleaning and laundry ($28.74) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($152.19) and enrolled nurses ($110.74).
