Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The residents’ experience rating for Hillside Lodge Hostel is 4 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.62. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is 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 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% 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.
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 | 2366 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2396 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2455 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2457 |
| 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 | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Hillside Lodge Hostel?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether the home is well run, 100% of residents surveyed at Hillside Lodge Hostel answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.9 percentage points above the average of 88.1% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.1%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (91% against 84.2%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 50% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 25% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Hillside Lodge Hostel were asked whether they feel safe, 67% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
How does Hillside Lodge Hostel spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Hillside Lodge Hostel spent $521.48 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 55.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $290.44 was 10% above 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?
The rest went to accommodation and maintenance ($95.49), administration ($68.77), cleaning and laundry ($37.24), and food and catering ($29.54) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($100) and personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($72.32). Food and catering spending was 31% below its sector median of $42.71.
What is the food like at Hillside Lodge Hostel?
When residents surveyed at Hillside Lodge Hostel for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 66% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
66% of surveyed residents
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Hillside Lodge Hostel provide?
Hillside Lodge Hostel reported 204 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026.
Who provides that care?
Of the 204 minutes, personal care workers provided 89 (43.6%), followed by registered nurses (63 minutes, 30.9%) and enrolled nurses (52 minutes, 25.5%).
