Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Ottrey 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
79% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 193 vs 208 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 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 | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Ottrey Lodge provide?
In January to March 2026, Ottrey Lodge reported 193 minutes of care per resident per day, 15 minutes below its target of 208 minutes. Of those minutes, 40 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did Ottrey Lodge meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 188 to 198.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 138 minutes, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (14 minutes). In the same quarter, Ottrey Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Ottrey Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Ottrey Lodge for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 88.1% average across other homes by 11.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (95% against 84.2%) and whether staff explain things to them (90% against 80.2%).
On 7 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Ottrey Lodge were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 95% of residents surveyed at Ottrey Lodge answered “always” and 5% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 89% answered “always” and 5% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Ottrey Lodge was 94% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities and 89% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
What is the food like at Ottrey Lodge?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 79% of residents surveyed at Ottrey Lodge said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 11.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 71% in 2025. Another 21% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Ottrey Lodge spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.29 per resident per day, 4% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Ottrey Lodge 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”.
79% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Ottrey Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Ottrey Lodge spent $403.42 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $247.69 was 6% 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 ($37.82), cleaning and laundry ($32.26), and accommodation and maintenance ($31.98) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($130.93) and registered nurses ($56.37).
