Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Lutheran Services - Zion 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
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
85% positive in 2026, compared with 53% in 2025: 32 percentage points higher.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
85% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 212 vs 210 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
64% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Lutheran Services - Zion?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 85% of residents surveyed at Lutheran Services - Zion said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 17.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 53% in 2025. Another 5% answered “some of the time” and 11% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Lutheran Services - Zion spent $16 per resident per day on food, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.23 per resident per day, 18% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Lutheran Services - Zion, 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”.
85% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Lutheran Services - Zion?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 64% of residents surveyed at Lutheran Services - Zion answered “always” or “most of the time”, 16.3 percentage points below the average of 80.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (89% against 95.4%) and whether they get the care they need (89% against 94.4%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%. 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 32% answered “always”, 32% “most of the time”, 32% “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Lutheran Services - Zion were asked whether they feel safe, 63% answered “always” and 32% “most of the time”.
How does Lutheran Services - Zion spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Lutheran Services - Zion spent $230.50 per resident per day on care and nursing, 13% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $379.55 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 ($57.93), accommodation and maintenance ($26.14), and cleaning and laundry ($26) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($137.71) and registered nurses ($54.99).
How much care and nursing does Lutheran Services - Zion provide?
Lutheran Services - Zion reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 2 minutes above its target of 210 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
Lutheran Services - Zion met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 190 to 212 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 164 minutes, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (7 minutes). In the same quarter, Lutheran Services - Zion also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
