Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Balranald Retirement Hostel is 4.19 out of 5, compared with 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 is above average, with lower reported spending
100% enjoy meals vs 70.2% across other homes; spending is $11 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
101% positive on respect and 101% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 191 vs 198 minutes; registered nurses: 68 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 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 | 95.86% | 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 | 70.24% | 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 Balranald Retirement Hostel?
When residents surveyed at Balranald Retirement Hostel for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 101% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 19.2 percentage points above the average of 81.8% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (101% against 85.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (101% against 88.6%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Balranald Retirement Hostel, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on all 10 questions other than food.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 88% of residents surveyed at Balranald Retirement Hostel answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 88% answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Balranald Retirement Hostel was 101% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at Balranald Retirement Hostel?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Balranald Retirement Hostel said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 29.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share fell from 101% in 2024.
In January to March 2026, Balranald Retirement Hostel spent $11 per resident per day on food, 31% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Balranald Retirement Hostel reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Balranald Retirement Hostel, breakfast and lunch are cooked fresh, while dinner is prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
100% 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 Balranald Retirement Hostel provide?
In January to March 2026, Balranald Retirement Hostel reported 191 minutes of care per resident per day, 7 minutes below its target of 198 minutes. Registered nurses provided 68 of those minutes, 26 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
In three of the last four quarters, Balranald Retirement Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 191 to 386 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 191 minutes, personal care workers provided 123 (64.4%), followed by registered nurses (68 minutes, 35.6%). Balranald Retirement Hostel also reported spending on lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Balranald Retirement Hostel spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Balranald Retirement Hostel spent $463.04 per resident per day on care and nursing, 75% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $591.97 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 ($58.08), cleaning and laundry ($24.08), and accommodation and maintenance ($22.38) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($213.45) and registered nurses ($176.15).
