Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The residents’ experience rating for Algester Lodge is 3 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.62. Three findings are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Worth a closer look
Support for independence is below the survey average
65% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% 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 | 2366 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2396 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2455 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2457 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 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 | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.17% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Algester Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Algester Lodge for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 65% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 22.2 percentage points below the average of 87.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (69% against 80.3%) and whether staff know what they are doing (83% against 89.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
At Algester Lodge, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 3 of the 10 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 staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 17% answered “always”, 48% “most of the time”, 31% “some of the time” and 3% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Algester Lodge were asked whether they feel safe, 66% answered “always” and 28% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 72% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Algester Lodge provide?
Algester Lodge reported 208 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 203 minutes. Registered nurses provided 38 of those minutes, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 41.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 165 minutes, followed by registered nurses (38 minutes) and enrolled nurses (4 minutes). Algester Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Algester Lodge?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Algester Lodge said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. Another 31% answered “some of the time” and 3% “never”.
Food spending at Algester Lodge in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Algester Lodge reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Algester Lodge, 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”.
65% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
