Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Corumbene Hostel is 3.49 out of 5, compared with 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’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
88% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Getting needed care is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.5% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 202 vs 214 minutes; registered nurses: 33 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
65% positive in 2025, compared with 93% in 2024: 28 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: 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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Corumbene Hostel provide?
In January to March 2026, Corumbene Hostel reported 202 minutes of care per resident per day, 12 minutes below its target of 214 minutes. Registered nurses provided 33 of those minutes, 10 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Corumbene Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 202 to 213 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 202 minutes, personal care workers provided 142 (70.3%), followed by registered nurses (33 minutes, 16.3%) and enrolled nurses (27 minutes, 13.4%). In the same quarter, Corumbene Hostel also reported spending on podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Corumbene Hostel?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Corumbene Hostel said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 93% in 2024. Another 35% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Corumbene Hostel in January to March 2026 was $18 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.39 per resident per day, 39% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Corumbene Hostel 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”.
65% 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 Corumbene Hostel?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 88% of residents surveyed at Corumbene Hostel answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 6.2 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (94% against 88.6%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 88% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.0%. In all, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff get to know each resident. Of residents asked whether staff are kind and caring, 76% answered “always”, 12% “most of the time” and 12% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 71% of residents surveyed at Corumbene Hostel answered “always” and 24% “most of the time”.
How does Corumbene Hostel spend on resident care?
Total spending at Corumbene Hostel in the 2024–25 financial year was $423.35 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $252.64 was 5% below 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($68.11), cleaning and laundry ($28.57), and accommodation and maintenance ($27.70) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($132.21) and registered nurses ($37.84).
