Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for McLellan House Hostel is 3.82 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 203 minutes against a 197-minute daily care target; RN time is 108 against 41.
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
83% positive in 2025, compared with 100% in 2024: 17 percentage points lower.
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 | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.47% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about McLellan House Hostel?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at McLellan House Hostel answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 18.2 percentage points above the average of 81.8% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.5%. In all, answers on 4 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 67% answered “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “always” or “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at McLellan House Hostel were asked whether they get the care they need, 33% answered “always” and 67% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does McLellan House Hostel provide?
In January to March 2026, McLellan House Hostel reported 203 minutes of care per resident per day, 6 minutes above its target of 197 minutes. Of those minutes, 108 came from registered nurses, 67 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 41.
McLellan House Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 203 to 253.
Who provides that care?
Of the 203 minutes, registered nurses provided 108 (53.2%), followed by enrolled nurses (83 minutes, 40.9%) and personal care workers (12 minutes, 5.9%). McLellan House Hostel also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does McLellan House Hostel spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, McLellan House Hostel spent $340.43 per resident per day on care and nursing, 29% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $562.53 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 accommodation and maintenance ($77.18), administration ($75.25), and cleaning and laundry ($49.78) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($163.50) and enrolled nurses ($131.91).
What is the food like at McLellan House Hostel?
When residents surveyed at McLellan House Hostel for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 100% in 2024. Another 17% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, McLellan House Hostel spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.54 per resident per day, 93% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to McLellan House Hostel, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 2% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
83% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
