Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Peakhurst Nursing Home is 3.9 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
74% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 230 minutes against a 223-minute daily care target; RN time is 46 against 45.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% 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.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
86% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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: 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.11% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Peakhurst Nursing Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Peakhurst Nursing Home reported 230 minutes of care per resident per day, 7 minutes above its target of 223 minutes. Registered nurses provided 46 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Peakhurst Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 230 to 236.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 184 of the 230 minutes (80.0%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 20.0%). Peakhurst Nursing Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Peakhurst Nursing Home?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 67% of residents surveyed at Peakhurst Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff know what they are doing, below the 89.1% average across other homes by 22.1 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (86% against 95.4%) and whether staff treat them with respect (87% against 95.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
At Peakhurst Nursing Home, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 7 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 20% answered “always”, 47% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Peakhurst Nursing Home were asked whether they feel safe, 53% answered “always” and 40% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 40% answered “always” and 53% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Peakhurst Nursing Home?
When residents surveyed at Peakhurst Nursing Home for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 73% in 2025. Another 27% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Peakhurst Nursing Home spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.12 per resident per day, 57% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Peakhurst 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”.
74% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Peakhurst Nursing Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Peakhurst Nursing Home spent $395.44 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $253.94 was 4% below the sector median of $264.85. 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 ($48.89), accommodation and maintenance ($32.93), and cleaning and laundry ($18.56) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($164.52) and registered nurses ($61.04).
