Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service is 3.6 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 212 vs 207 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.4% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% 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: 2026 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 2026 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service?
When residents surveyed at Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 71% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 88.1% average across other homes by 17.1 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (72% against 84.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (78% against 89.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. Altogether, answers on 4 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 21% answered “always”, 50% “most of the time” and 29% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 79% of residents surveyed at Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 64% answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 50% of residents surveyed at Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 17.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share was also 50% in 2025. Another 36% answered “some of the time” and 14% “never”.
Food spending at Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.17 per resident per day, 39% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 22% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
50% 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 Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service provide?
Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 207 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 212 to 221 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 138 of the 212 minutes (65.1%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 19.3%) and enrolled nurses (33 minutes, 15.6%). Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Banksia Lodge Residential Aged Care Service spent $433.04 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.0% of it. Care and nursing spending of $276.94 was 5% 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?
Other categories included administration ($46.58), cleaning and laundry ($32.43), and accommodation and maintenance ($31.33) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($136.31) and registered nurses ($53.85).
