Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Arcare Lysterfield is 3.93 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
83% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Support for independence is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
91% 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 | 3.06 | 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 | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Arcare Lysterfield?
When residents surveyed at Arcare Lysterfield for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. Another 17% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Arcare Lysterfield in January to March 2026 was $13 per resident per day, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Arcare Lysterfield reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Arcare Lysterfield, 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”.
83% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Arcare Lysterfield?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Arcare Lysterfield answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff know what they are doing, 10.5 percentage points above the average of 89.5% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (91% against 85.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.6%. In all, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
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. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 75% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 92% of residents surveyed at Arcare Lysterfield 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”.
How much care and nursing does Arcare Lysterfield provide?
In January to March 2026, Arcare Lysterfield reported 205 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 202 minutes. Of those minutes, 39 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 154 of the 205 minutes (75.1%), followed by registered nurses (39 minutes, 19.0%) and enrolled nurses (12 minutes, 5.9%). Arcare Lysterfield also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
