Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge is 4.63 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 211 minutes against a 207-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 42.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
81% positive in 2026, compared with 100% in 2025: 19 percentage points lower.
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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 94% of residents surveyed at Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 80.2% average across other homes by 13.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 88.1%) and whether staff know what they are doing (101% against 89.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on 8 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 100% of residents surveyed at Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 94% answered “always”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 101% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities and 94% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
What is the food like at Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 81% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 13.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 100% in 2025. Another 13% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.05 per resident per day, 82% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge, 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”.
81% 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 Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge provide?
In January to March 2026, Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge reported 211 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 207 minutes. Of those minutes, 48 came from registered nurses, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 201 to 211.
Who provides that care?
Of the 211 minutes, personal care workers provided 163 (77.3%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 22.7%). In the same quarter, Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Catholic Healthcare Maranatha Lodge spent $234.40 per resident per day on care and nursing, 11% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $413.30 per resident per day. These amounts 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 ($67.96), accommodation and maintenance ($40.93), and cleaning and laundry ($24.85) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($137.29) and registered nurses ($68.73).
