Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) is 4.37 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 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 264 minutes against a 180-minute daily care target; RN time is 152 against 38.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
83% positive in 2025, compared with 100% in 2024: 17 percentage points lower.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Support for independence is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% 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 | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.18% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) provide?
In January to March 2026, Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) reported 264 minutes of care per resident per day, 84 minutes above its target of 180 minutes. Of those minutes, 152 came from registered nurses, 114 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 38.
Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 233 to 264 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 264 minutes, registered nurses provided 152 (57.6%), followed by enrolled nurses (112 minutes, 42.4%). Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) also reported spending on lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit)?
When residents surveyed at Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 100% in 2024. Another 17% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) spent $24 per resident per day on food, 50% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) reports that breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
83% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) in the 2024–25 financial year was $363.75 per resident per day, 37% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $685.45 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($113.54), administration ($91.18), and cleaning and laundry ($43.21) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($211.58) and enrolled nurses ($124.03).
What do residents say about Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit)?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% of residents surveyed at Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) answered “always” or “most of the time”, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 85.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. In all, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 33% answered “always”, 42% “most of the time” and 25% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 50% of residents surveyed at Queen Elizabeth Centre (Steele Haughton Unit) answered “always” and 42% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 67% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
