Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Loreto is 3.6 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 219 minutes against a 214-minute daily care target; RN time is 47 against 43.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
75% positive in 2025, compared with 46% in 2024: 29 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Support for independence is below the survey average
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
59% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% 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: 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 | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.49% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.62% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.22% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Loreto?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 50% of residents surveyed at Loreto answered “always” or “most of the time”, 38.6 percentage points below the average of 88.6% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (59% against 93.2%) and whether the home is well run (67% against 89.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.9%. Altogether, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 50% answered “always”, 25% “some of the time” and 25% “never”; none answered “most of the time”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 92% of residents surveyed at Loreto answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 58% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Loreto?
When residents surveyed at Loreto for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 46% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time” and 17% “never”.
Food spending at Loreto in January to March 2026 was $40 per resident per day, 150% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.67 per resident per day, 139% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Loreto, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 20% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
75% 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 Loreto provide?
Loreto reported 219 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 214 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Loreto met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 219 to 241.
Who provides that care?
Of the 219 minutes, personal care workers provided 172 (78.5%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 21.5%). Loreto also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Loreto spend on resident care?
Total spending at Loreto in the 2024–25 financial year was $507.70 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 53.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $272.30 was 3% above 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 administration ($110.92), accommodation and maintenance ($39.23), and cleaning and laundry ($38.49) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($148.66) and registered nurses ($75.73).
