Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Merv Irvine Nursing Home is 3.08 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.5% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 216 vs 243 minutes; registered nurses: 62 vs 48 minutes per resident per day.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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 | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Merv Irvine Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Merv Irvine Nursing Home reported 216 minutes of care per resident per day, 27 minutes below its target of 243 minutes. Of those minutes, 62 came from registered nurses, 14 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 48.
In three of the last four quarters, Merv Irvine Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 216 to 280 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 216 minutes, enrolled nurses provided 154 (71.3%), followed by registered nurses (62 minutes, 28.7%). In the same quarter, Merv Irvine Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Merv Irvine Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 70% of residents surveyed at Merv Irvine Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 23.2 percentage points below the average of 93.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (70% against 89.3%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (70% against 88.6%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. Altogether, answers on 2 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 residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 60% answered “always”, 10% “most of the time”, 10% “some of the time” and 20% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 60% of residents surveyed at Merv Irvine Nursing Home answered “always” and 20% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 70% answered “always” and 30% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Merv Irvine Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 60% of residents surveyed at Merv Irvine Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 10.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 75% in 2024. Another 30% answered “some of the time” and 10% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Merv Irvine Nursing Home spent $22 per resident per day on food, 38% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.53 per resident per day, 89% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Merv Irvine Nursing Home reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 9% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
60% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Merv Irvine Nursing Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Merv Irvine Nursing Home spent $364.68 per resident per day on care and nursing, 38% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $557.74 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 ($56.58), cleaning and laundry ($45.86), and accommodation and maintenance ($38.04) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to enrolled nurses ($201.71) and registered nurses ($126.09).
