Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Regis Marleston is 3.6 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 233 vs 233 minutes; registered nurses: 43 vs 46 minutes per resident per day.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
55% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% 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: 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 | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.18% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.28% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.24% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.44% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Regis Marleston?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 50% of residents surveyed at Regis Marleston answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 80.3% average across other homes by 30.3 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (55% against 84.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (60% against 87.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
At Regis Marleston, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 9 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 40% answered “always”, 10% “most of the time”, 20% “some of the time” and 30% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 70% of residents surveyed at Regis Marleston answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 40% answered “always” and 45% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Regis Marleston?
When residents surveyed at Regis Marleston for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 65% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 64% in 2025. Another 20% answered “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
Food spending at Regis Marleston in January to March 2026 was $13 per resident per day, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.20 per resident per day, 29% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Regis Marleston, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 89% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
65% 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 Marleston provide?
In January to March 2026, Regis Marleston reported 233 minutes of care per resident per day, matching its target of 233 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 46.
Regis Marleston met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 233 to 239.
Who provides that care?
Of the 233 minutes, personal care workers provided 182 (78.1%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 18.5%) and enrolled nurses (8 minutes, 3.4%). In the same quarter, Regis Marleston also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Regis Marleston spend on resident care?
Total spending at Regis Marleston in the 2024–25 financial year was $411.19 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $267.64 was 1% above 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 ($58.33), accommodation and maintenance ($26.65), and cleaning and laundry ($26.33) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($165.49) and registered nurses ($57.97).
