Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Amana Living Lady McCusker Home is 4.19 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
31% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
31% positive in 2025, compared with 42% in 2024: 11 percentage points lower.
Support for independence is below the survey average
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.29% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Amana Living Lady McCusker Home?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 70% of residents surveyed at Amana Living Lady McCusker Home answered “always” or “most of the time”, 18.6 percentage points below the average of 88.6% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (77% against 89.5%) and whether the home is well run (77% against 89.3%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can 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, 8% answered “always”, 62% “most of the time”, 15% “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 54% of residents surveyed at Amana Living Lady McCusker Home answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Amana Living Lady McCusker Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 31% of residents surveyed at Amana Living Lady McCusker Home said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 39.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 42% in 2024. Another 62% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Amana Living Lady McCusker Home spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.56 per resident per day, 100% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Amana Living Lady McCusker Home, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 44% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
31% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Amana Living Lady McCusker Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Amana Living Lady McCusker Home reported 244 minutes of care per resident per day, 20 minutes above its target of 224 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Amana Living Lady McCusker Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 242 to 248.
Who provides that care?
Of the 244 minutes, personal care workers provided 193 (79.1%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 18.9%) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes, 2.0%). In the same quarter, Amana Living Lady McCusker Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists and dietitians.
How does Amana Living Lady McCusker Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Amana Living Lady McCusker Home spent $317.33 per resident per day on care and nursing, 20% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $478.74 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($61.33), accommodation and maintenance ($38.22), and cleaning and laundry ($18.01) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($176.17) and registered nurses ($69.86).
