Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for St Nicholas Aged Care is 3.89 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 233 minutes against a 210-minute daily care target; RN time is 52 against 43.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
71% positive in 2026, compared with 86% in 2025: 15 percentage points lower.
Support for independence is below the survey average
65% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% across other homes.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 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: 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.17% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does St Nicholas Aged Care provide?
St Nicholas Aged Care reported 233 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 23 minutes above its target of 210 minutes. Registered nurses provided 52 of those minutes, 9 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
St Nicholas Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 217 to 234 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 172 minutes, followed by registered nurses (52 minutes) and enrolled nurses (10 minutes). St Nicholas Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists and dietitians in the same quarter.
How does St Nicholas Aged Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, St Nicholas Aged Care spent $322.19 per resident per day on care and nursing, 22% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $476.38 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 administration ($60.21), accommodation and maintenance ($38.06), and cleaning and laundry ($26.86) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($166.38) and registered nurses ($76.84).
What do residents say about St Nicholas Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at St Nicholas Aged Care for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 84.2% average across other homes by 8.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (86% against 80.3%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 65% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%. Altogether, 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 support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 36% answered “always”, 29% “most of the time” and 36% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 64% of residents surveyed at St Nicholas Aged Care answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at St Nicholas Aged Care?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 71% of residents surveyed at St Nicholas Aged Care said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 3.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 86% in 2025. Another 29% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at St Nicholas Aged Care in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
St Nicholas Aged Care 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”.
71% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
