Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel is 3.67 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two 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 187 minutes against a 182-minute daily care target; RN time is 40 against 38.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
23% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
54% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
62% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.30% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 54% of residents surveyed at Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 27.8 percentage points below the average of 81.8% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (62% against 85.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (69% against 89.5%).
On 7 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 23% answered “always”, 31% “most of the time”, 38% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel were asked whether they feel safe, 85% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 46% answered “always” and 46% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 23% of residents surveyed at Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 47.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 39% in 2024. Another 77% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $1.45 per resident per day, 418% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 46% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
23% 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 Thomas Scott Hostel provide?
In January to March 2026, Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel reported 187 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 182 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 38.
Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 184 to 187.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 138 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (8 minutes). In the same quarter, Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel also reported spending on podiatrists, speech pathologists and dietitians.
How does Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Amana Living Thomas Scott Hostel spent $228.57 per resident per day on care and nursing, 14% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $386.57 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 ($62), accommodation and maintenance ($40.62), and cleaning and laundry ($18.87) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($111.95) and registered nurses ($58.17).
