Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Clelland Lodge is 4.37 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
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
63% positive in 2026, compared with 50% in 2025: 13 percentage points higher.
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
Support for independence is below the survey average
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% across other homes.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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 | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Clelland Lodge provide?
In January to March 2026, Clelland Lodge reported 246 minutes of care per resident per day, 38 minutes above its target of 208 minutes. Registered nurses provided 48 of those minutes, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Clelland Lodge met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 222 to 246 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 246 minutes, personal care workers provided 194 (78.9%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 19.5%) and enrolled nurses (4 minutes, 1.6%). Clelland Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Clelland Lodge?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 63% of residents surveyed at Clelland Lodge said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 4.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 50% in 2025. Another 21% answered “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
Food spending at Clelland Lodge in January to March 2026 was $20 per resident per day, 25% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.46 per resident per day, 64% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Clelland 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”.
63% 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 Clelland Lodge?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 75% of residents surveyed at Clelland Lodge answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 87.2% average across other homes by 12.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they get the care they need (83% against 94.4%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (83% against 92.7%).
On 8 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Clelland Lodge were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
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. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 75% answered “always”, 4% “some of the time” and 21% “never”; none answered “most of the time”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 79% of residents surveyed at Clelland Lodge answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
How does Clelland Lodge spend on resident care?
Total spending at Clelland Lodge in the 2024–25 financial year was $444.64 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $273.46 was 3% above the sector median of $264.85. 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 ($59.33), accommodation and maintenance ($33.07), and cleaning and laundry ($29.31) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($172.59) and registered nurses ($42.21).
