Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington is 3.6 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
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
71% positive in 2026, compared with 35% in 2025: 36 percentage points higher.
Residents report stronger support for independence
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 225 vs 217 minutes; registered nurses: 43 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
78% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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: 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 | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.44% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they get the care they need, 71% of residents surveyed at mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington answered “always” or “most of the time”, 23.4 percentage points below the average of 94.4% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (78% against 95.4%) and whether staff treat them with respect (78% against 95.4%), 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: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how care plans are reviewed and changed. Of residents asked whether they get the care they need, 64% answered “always”, 7% “most of the time” and 29% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 86% of residents surveyed at mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington answered “always” and 7% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington provide?
mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington reported 225 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 8 minutes above its target of 217 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 44.
In none of the last four quarters did mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 215 to 229 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 225 minutes, personal care workers provided 168 (74.7%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 19.1%) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes, 6.2%). In the same quarter, mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 71% of residents surveyed at mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 3.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 35% in 2025. Another 21% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.13 per resident per day, 54% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington 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”.
71% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington spend on resident care?
Total spending at mecwacare Gregory Lodge, Flemington in the 2024–25 financial year was $403.49 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $253.53 was 4% below 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 administration ($57.63), accommodation and maintenance ($28.49), and cleaning and laundry ($25.92) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($151.88) and registered nurses ($64.62).
