Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Milford House Nursing Home is 3.97 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
75% positive in 2025, compared with 85% in 2024: 10 percentage points lower.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.88% | 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 | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Milford House Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 75% of residents surveyed at Milford House Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff are kind and caring, 21 percentage points below the average of 96.0% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (75% against 95.9%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (67% against 85.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
On 8 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Milford House Nursing Home were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff get to know each resident. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring, 67% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time” and 25% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Milford House Nursing Home were asked whether they feel safe, 67% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 50% answered “always” and 42% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Milford House Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Milford House Nursing Home reported 240 minutes of care per resident per day, 14 minutes above its target of 226 minutes. Registered nurses provided 49 of those minutes, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Milford House Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 219 to 240.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 191 of the 240 minutes (79.6%), followed by registered nurses (49 minutes, 20.4%). In the same quarter, Milford House Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Milford House Nursing Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Milford House Nursing Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $235.40 per resident per day, 11% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $450.40 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 ($92.26), accommodation and maintenance ($52.64), and cleaning and laundry ($27.94) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.51) and registered nurses ($63.23).
What is the food like at Milford House Nursing Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 75% of residents surveyed at Milford House Nursing Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 85% in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Milford House Nursing Home in January to March 2026 was $18 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Milford House Nursing Home reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Milford House Nursing 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”.
75% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
