Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Lakes Entrance Care Community is 3.56 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
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% 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.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 198 vs 209 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
60% positive in 2026, compared with 79% in 2025: 19 percentage points lower.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 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: 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.
Food spending uses the My Aged Care sector median for Jan–Mar 2026; resident enjoyment comes from the 2026 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Lakes Entrance Care Community provide?
In January to March 2026, Lakes Entrance Care Community reported 198 minutes of care per resident per day, 11 minutes below its target of 209 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
Lakes Entrance Care Community met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 191 to 217.
Who provides that care?
Of the 198 minutes, personal care workers provided 126 (63.6%), followed by registered nurses (40 minutes, 20.2%) and enrolled nurses (32 minutes, 16.2%). Lakes Entrance Care Community also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Lakes Entrance Care Community?
When residents surveyed at Lakes Entrance Care Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 19.8 percentage points above the average of 80.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. Of residents asked whether they feel safe, 73% answered “always”, 20% “most of the time” and 7% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Lakes Entrance Care Community, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 87% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
What is the food like at Lakes Entrance Care Community?
When residents surveyed at Lakes Entrance Care Community for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 60% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 7.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 79% in 2025. Another 27% answered “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Lakes Entrance Care Community spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.34 per resident per day, 21% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Lakes Entrance Care Community 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”.
60% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Lakes Entrance Care Community spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Lakes Entrance Care Community spent $443.09 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $278.44 was 5% 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($59.78), administration ($33.14), and cleaning and laundry ($30.55) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($136.97) and registered nurses ($56.85).
