Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Richmond Lodge is 4.37 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 228 minutes against a 211-minute daily care target; RN time is 49 against 43.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
59% positive in 2025, compared with 92% in 2024: 33 percentage points lower.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
59% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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 | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Richmond Lodge provide?
In January to March 2026, Richmond Lodge reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day, 17 minutes above its target of 211 minutes. Of those minutes, 49 came from registered nurses, 6 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Richmond Lodge met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 228 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 179 of the 228 minutes (78.5%), followed by registered nurses (49 minutes, 21.5%). Richmond Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Richmond Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Richmond Lodge spent $338.97 per resident per day on care and nursing, 28% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $536.33 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($79.68), accommodation and maintenance ($42.45), and cleaning and laundry ($36.26) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($182.55) and registered nurses ($107.80).
What is the food like at Richmond Lodge?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 59% of residents surveyed at Richmond Lodge said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 11.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 92% in 2024. Another 33% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Food spending at Richmond Lodge in January to March 2026 was $17 per resident per day, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.17 per resident per day, 39% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Richmond 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”.
59% 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 Richmond Lodge?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Richmond Lodge answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 11.4 percentage points above the average of 88.6% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Richmond Lodge, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on 6 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Richmond Lodge were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Richmond Lodge, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 92% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
