Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge is 4.08 out of 5, against 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
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
62% positive in 2026, compared with 52% in 2025: 10 percentage points higher.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
62% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.9 percentage points above the average of 87.1% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 80.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.1%).
On 9 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge were asked whether they feel safe, 88% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 96% answered “always” and 4% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How much care and nursing does Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge provide?
Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge reported 226 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 223 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 228.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 179 of the 226 minutes (79.2%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 20.8%). Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 62% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 5.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 52% in 2025. Another 31% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.22 per resident per day, 21% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge 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”.
62% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Advantaged Care at Prestons Lodge spent $465.05 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 56.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $263.17 was 1% below 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($99.10), administration ($42.16), and cleaning and laundry ($27.78) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($157.16) and registered nurses ($60.46).
