Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Resthaven Leabrook is 3.6 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 report stronger support for independence
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 216 vs 213 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
70% positive in 2025, compared with 87% in 2024: 17 percentage points lower.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 95.87% | 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 | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Resthaven Leabrook?
When residents surveyed at Resthaven Leabrook for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 70% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 17 percentage points lower than the 87% recorded in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Resthaven Leabrook spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.31 per resident per day, 11% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Resthaven Leabrook reports that 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”.
70% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Resthaven Leabrook?
When residents surveyed at Resthaven Leabrook for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 85% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 93.2% average across other homes by 8.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (90% against 96.0%) and whether staff treat them with respect (90% against 95.9%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.6%. In all, answers on 3 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 residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 55% answered “always”, 30% “most of the time” and 15% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 75% of residents surveyed at Resthaven Leabrook answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 50% answered “always” and 40% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Resthaven Leabrook provide?
In January to March 2026, Resthaven Leabrook reported 216 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Resthaven Leabrook 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 215 to 221.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 170 minutes, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes). In the same quarter, Resthaven Leabrook also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Resthaven Leabrook spend on resident care?
Total spending at Resthaven Leabrook in the 2024–25 financial year was $430.14 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $256.59 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 ($48.42), accommodation and maintenance ($44.63), and cleaning and laundry ($33.18) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($161.19) and registered nurses ($57.90).
