Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Simpkin House Nursing Home is 3.74 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 352 minutes against a 229-minute daily care target; RN time is 170 against 46.
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
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Support for independence is below the survey average
63% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.26% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.18% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1079 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.75% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Simpkin House Nursing Home provide?
Simpkin House Nursing Home reported 352 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 123 minutes above its target of 229 minutes. Registered nurses provided 170 of those minutes, 124 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In each of the last four quarters, Simpkin House Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 352 to 416.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, registered nurses provided 170 minutes, followed by enrolled nurses (137 minutes) and personal care workers (46 minutes). Simpkin House 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 Simpkin House Nursing Home?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they have a say in their daily activities, 50% of residents surveyed at Simpkin House Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 92.7% average across other homes by 42.7 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (63% against 87.2%) and whether the home is well run (76% against 88.1%).
At Simpkin House Nursing Home, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 8 of the 9 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 residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 25% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time”, 38% “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 75% of residents surveyed at Simpkin House Nursing Home answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 63% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
How does Simpkin House Nursing Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Simpkin House Nursing Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $583.18 per resident per day, 120% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $889.82 per resident per day. These amounts 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 ($104.30), administration ($99.18), and cleaning and laundry ($49.72) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to enrolled nurses ($224.13) and registered nurses ($205.26).
What is the food like at Simpkin House Nursing Home?
When residents surveyed at Simpkin House Nursing Home for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 63% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 75% in 2025. Another 13% answered “some of the time” and 25% “never”.
Food spending at Simpkin House Nursing Home in January to March 2026 was $19 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $1.07 per resident per day, 282% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Simpkin House Nursing Home 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”.
63% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
