Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Juniper Waratah Lodge is 4.07 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two 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 296 minutes against a 216-minute daily care target; RN time is 71 against 44.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
78% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% 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 | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 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 Juniper Waratah Lodge provide?
In January to March 2026, Juniper Waratah Lodge reported 296 minutes of care per resident per day, 80 minutes above its target of 216 minutes. Registered nurses provided 71 of those minutes, 27 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, Juniper Waratah Lodge met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 260 to 448 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 296 minutes, personal care workers provided 219 (74.0%), followed by registered nurses (71 minutes, 24.0%) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes, 2.0%). In the same quarter, Juniper Waratah Lodge also reported spending on podiatrists and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Juniper Waratah Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Juniper Waratah Lodge for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 89% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 18.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 70% in 2024. Another 11% answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Juniper Waratah Lodge spent $76 per resident per day on food, 375% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Juniper Waratah Lodge reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
Juniper Waratah Lodge reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 17% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
89% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Juniper Waratah Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Juniper Waratah Lodge spent $440.28 per resident per day on care and nursing, 66% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $680.55 per resident per day. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($65.55), accommodation and maintenance ($43.80), and cleaning and laundry ($29.70) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($246.60) and registered nurses ($132.77).
What do residents say about Juniper Waratah Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Juniper Waratah Lodge for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.4 percentage points above the average of 88.6% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%.
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, 56% answered “always”, 22% “most of the time” and 22% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 89% of residents surveyed at Juniper Waratah Lodge answered “always” and 11% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 89% answered “always” and 11% “most of the time”.
