Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether is 3.93 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
84% positive in 2025, compared with 61% in 2024: 23 percentage points higher.
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 215 vs 213 minutes; registered nurses: 38 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% 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 | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 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 | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 18.2 percentage points above the average of 81.8% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (100% against 85.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 88.6%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.0%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff get to know each resident. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring, 92% answered “always” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “most of the time” or “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 92% of residents surveyed at Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 84% of residents surveyed at Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 13.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 61% in 2024. Another 15% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether spent $21 per resident per day on food, 31% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.59 per resident per day, 111% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether, 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”.
84% 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 Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether provide?
In January to March 2026, Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether reported 215 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Registered nurses provided 38 of those minutes, 5 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 178 to 215.
Who provides that care?
Of the 215 minutes, personal care workers provided 172 (80.0%), followed by registered nurses (38 minutes, 17.7%) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes, 2.3%). In the same quarter, Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Anglican Care Scenic Lodge Merewether spent $470.40 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 56.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.25 was in line with 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($60.93), administration ($50.33), and cleaning and laundry ($32.22) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($135.06) and registered nurses ($64.07).
