Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Millhaven Lodge is 3.74 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 227 minutes against a 208-minute daily care target; RN time is 43 against 42.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$13 a day vs a $16 sector median; 65% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
65% positive in 2025, compared with 80% in 2024: 15 percentage points lower.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% 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 | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Millhaven Lodge provide?
In January to March 2026, Millhaven Lodge reported 227 minutes of care per resident per day, 19 minutes above its target of 208 minutes. Of those minutes, 43 came from registered nurses, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Millhaven Lodge 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 223 to 228.
Who provides that care?
Of the 227 minutes, personal care workers provided 155 (68.3%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 18.9%) and enrolled nurses (29 minutes, 12.8%). Millhaven Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Millhaven Lodge?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 70% of residents surveyed at Millhaven Lodge answered “always” or “most of the time”, 19.5 percentage points below the average of 89.5% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (70% against 85.2%) and whether they feel safe (90% against 96.5%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. In all, 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 the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 45% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 30% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 65% of residents surveyed at Millhaven Lodge answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Millhaven Lodge?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Millhaven Lodge said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 80% in 2024. Another 35% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Millhaven Lodge spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.46 per resident per day, 64% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Millhaven Lodge, 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”.
65% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Millhaven Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Millhaven Lodge spent $411.41 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $269.60 was 2% above 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?
Spending on other categories included cleaning and laundry ($47.27), accommodation and maintenance ($30.97) and administration ($30.08) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($146.21) and registered nurses ($47.42).
