Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge is 3.9 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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.
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 | 95.87% | 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 | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.21% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff are kind and caring, 77% of residents surveyed at Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 96.0% average across other homes by 19 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (77% against 93.2%) and whether staff treat them with respect (83% against 95.9%).
At Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 7 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 get to know each resident. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring, 59% answered “always”, 18% “most of the time”, 18% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 88% of residents surveyed at Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge answered “always” and 6% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 82% answered “always” and 12% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge provide?
Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge reported 234 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 231 minutes. Registered nurses provided 48 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In three of the last four quarters, Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 225 to 234.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 186 of the 234 minutes (79.5%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 20.5%). In the same quarter, Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge spent $472.34 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 57.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $273.36 was 3% above 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 administration ($76.09), accommodation and maintenance ($54.37), and cleaning and laundry ($25.18) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($172.55) and registered nurses ($67.68).
What is the food like at Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 70% of residents surveyed at Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 70.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 67% in 2024. Another 29% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge spent $16 per resident per day on food, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Anglicare Melva McDonald Lodge reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 67% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
70% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
