Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bedingfeld Lodge is 3.23 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
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 274 vs 221 minutes; registered nurses: 34 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
58% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.4% 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 | 89.35% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.84% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Bedingfeld Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Bedingfeld Lodge for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 50% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 31.8 percentage points below the average of 81.8% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (58% against 89.4%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (64% against 85.2%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. Altogether, answers on 3 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 how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 14% answered “always”, 36% “most of the time”, 43% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 93% of residents surveyed at Bedingfeld Lodge answered “always” and 7% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 50% answered “always” and 36% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Bedingfeld Lodge provide?
Bedingfeld Lodge reported 274 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 53 minutes above its target of 221 minutes. Registered nurses provided 34 of those minutes, 10 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did Bedingfeld Lodge meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 256 to 276.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 234 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (34 minutes) and enrolled nurses (7 minutes). Bedingfeld Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Bedingfeld Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Bedingfeld Lodge for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 57% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 13.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 85% in 2024. Another 43% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Bedingfeld Lodge in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Bedingfeld Lodge reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Bedingfeld Lodge reports that 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”.
57% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bedingfeld Lodge spend on resident care?
Total spending at Bedingfeld Lodge in the 2024–25 financial year was $444.08 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $287.49 was 9% 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 ($48.26), cleaning and laundry ($33.77), and accommodation and maintenance ($33.65) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($190.80) and registered nurses ($44.78).
