Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Eldercare The Lodge is 3.3 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 88.6% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 217 vs 211 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 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 Eldercare The Lodge provide?
In January to March 2026, Eldercare The Lodge reported 217 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes above its target of 211 minutes. Of those minutes, 42 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Eldercare The 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 214 to 218 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 128 minutes, followed by enrolled nurses (46 minutes) and registered nurses (42 minutes). In the same quarter, Eldercare The Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Eldercare The Lodge?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Eldercare The Lodge answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 11.4 percentage points above the average of 88.6% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 85.2%) and whether the home is well run (96% against 89.3%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Eldercare The Lodge, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on 6 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, 84% of residents surveyed at Eldercare The Lodge answered “always” and 16% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 48% answered “always” and 48% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Eldercare The Lodge, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 92% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How does Eldercare The Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Eldercare The Lodge spent $418.57 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $248.76 was 6% 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 ($67.84), accommodation and maintenance ($32.70), and cleaning and laundry ($21.91) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($117.57) and registered nurses ($54.96).
What is the food like at Eldercare The Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Eldercare The Lodge for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 76% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 5.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 73% in 2024. Another 16% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at Eldercare The Lodge in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.54 per resident per day, 93% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Eldercare The 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”.
76% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
