Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Hailey House Hostel is 3.82 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 consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 211 minutes against a 208-minute daily care target; RN time is 47 against 42.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Support for independence is below the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 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 |
What is the food like at Hailey House Hostel?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Hailey House Hostel said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 85% in 2024. Another 23% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Hailey House Hostel spent $38 per resident per day on food, 138% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.68 per resident per day, 143% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Hailey House Hostel, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
77% 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 Hailey House Hostel provide?
Hailey House Hostel reported 211 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 208 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 5 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
In each of the last four quarters, Hailey House Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 209 to 222 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 211 minutes, personal care workers provided 150 (71.1%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 22.3%) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes, 6.6%). Hailey House Hostel also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Hailey House Hostel?
When residents surveyed at Hailey House Hostel for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 93.2% average across other homes by 6.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 85.2%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. Altogether, 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 15% answered “always”, 54% “most of the time”, 23% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 69% of residents surveyed at Hailey House Hostel answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”.
How does Hailey House Hostel spend on resident care?
Total spending at Hailey House Hostel in the 2024–25 financial year was $439.97 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.19 was in line with 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($75.69), administration ($44.86), and cleaning and laundry ($10.01) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($124) and registered nurses ($96.36).
