Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Trentham Nursing Home is 4.37 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
101% positive on respect and 101% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 260 minutes against a 228-minute daily care target; RN time is 93 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
88% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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: 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 | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.18% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Trentham Nursing Home provide?
Trentham Nursing Home reported 260 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 32 minutes above its target of 228 minutes. Registered nurses provided 93 of those minutes, 47 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 46.
Trentham Nursing Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 236 to 260 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 260 minutes, enrolled nurses provided 166 (63.8%), followed by registered nurses (93 minutes, 35.8%) and personal care workers (1 minute, 0.4%). In the same quarter, Trentham Nursing Home also reported spending on podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Trentham Nursing Home spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Trentham Nursing Home in the 2024–25 financial year was $449.03 per resident per day, 70% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $706.68 per resident per day. These figures 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 ($117.57), cleaning and laundry ($40.07) and administration ($36.89) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to enrolled nurses ($208.69) and registered nurses ($150.26).
What do residents say about Trentham Nursing Home?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% of residents surveyed at Trentham Nursing Home answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 85.2% average across other homes by 14.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (101% against 89.5%) and whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 88% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 63% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 13% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Trentham Nursing Home were asked whether they feel safe, 100% answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 50% answered “always” and 50% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Trentham Nursing Home?
When residents surveyed at Trentham Nursing Home for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 88% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 17.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 70% in 2024. Another 13% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Trentham Nursing Home spent $17 per resident per day on food, 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?
Trentham Nursing Home reports that 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”.
88% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
