Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Regis Birkdale is 3.3 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
72% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $12 vs a $16 sector median.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 224 vs 223 minutes; registered nurses: 44 vs 45 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.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
72% positive in 2026, compared with 86% in 2025: 14 percentage points lower.
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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 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 | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Regis Birkdale?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 64% of residents surveyed at Regis Birkdale answered “always” or “most of the time”, 20.2 percentage points below the average of 84.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (72% against 89.1%) and whether staff explain things to them (71% against 80.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.4%. 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 the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 57% answered “always”, 7% “most of the time”, 14% “some of the time” and 21% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Regis Birkdale were asked whether they feel safe, 86% answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Regis Birkdale?
When residents surveyed at Regis Birkdale for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 72% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 86% in 2025. Another 7% answered “some of the time” and 21% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Regis Birkdale spent $12 per resident per day on food, 25% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.41 per resident per day, 46% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Regis Birkdale, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 92% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
72% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Regis Birkdale provide?
Regis Birkdale reported 224 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 223 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In one of the last four quarters, Regis Birkdale met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 224 to 230.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 177 of the 224 minutes (79.0%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 19.6%) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes, 1.3%). In the same quarter, Regis Birkdale also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Regis Birkdale spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Regis Birkdale spent $394.68 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $255.86 was 3% below the sector median of $264.85. 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 ($60.49), accommodation and maintenance ($28.58), and cleaning and laundry ($16.59) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.69) and registered nurses ($59.25).
