Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Lionsbrae Hostel is 4.37 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 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 238 minutes against a 202-minute daily care target; RN time is 50 against 41.
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
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$13 a day vs a $16 sector median; 57% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
57% positive in 2026, compared with 72% in 2025: 15 percentage points lower.
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 | 95.35% | 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 | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Lionsbrae Hostel provide?
Lionsbrae Hostel reported 238 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 36 minutes above its target of 202 minutes. Registered nurses provided 50 of those minutes, 9 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 41.
Lionsbrae Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 238 to 244 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 166 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (50 minutes) and enrolled nurses (23 minutes). Lionsbrae Hostel also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Lionsbrae Hostel spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Lionsbrae Hostel in the 2024–25 financial year was $316.13 per resident per day, 19% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $510.01 per resident per day. 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 ($71.54), accommodation and maintenance ($45.05), and cleaning and laundry ($30.87) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($156.95) and registered nurses ($74.43).
What do residents say about Lionsbrae Hostel?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether the home is well run, 100% of residents surveyed at Lionsbrae 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 (93% against 84.2%).
At Lionsbrae Hostel, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on 9 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, 86% of residents surveyed at Lionsbrae Hostel answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 71% answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Lionsbrae Hostel, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 93% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities and 93% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
What is the food like at Lionsbrae Hostel?
When residents surveyed at Lionsbrae Hostel for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 57% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 72% in 2025. Another 36% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Lionsbrae Hostel spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.22 per resident per day, 21% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Lionsbrae Hostel, 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”.
57% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
