Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Riverside Hostel is 4.37 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 295 minutes against a 194-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 41.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
91% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% 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 | 89.33% | 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 | 70.25% | 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 Riverside Hostel provide?
In January to March 2026, Riverside Hostel reported 295 minutes of care per resident per day, 101 minutes above its target of 194 minutes. Of those minutes, 48 came from registered nurses, 7 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 41.
Riverside 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 272 to 295.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 207 of the 295 minutes (70.2%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 16.3%) and enrolled nurses (40 minutes, 13.6%). Riverside Hostel also reported spending on podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Riverside Hostel?
When residents surveyed at Riverside Hostel for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 84% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 13.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 75% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Riverside Hostel spent $21 per resident per day on food, 31% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Riverside Hostel, 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”.
84% 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 Riverside Hostel?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Riverside Hostel answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 88.6% average across other homes by 11.4 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 81.8%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 91% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.0%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff get to know each resident. Of residents asked whether staff are kind and caring, 83% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Riverside Hostel were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 83% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
How does Riverside Hostel spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Riverside Hostel in the 2024–25 financial year was $297.02 per resident per day, 12% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $547.44 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 accommodation and maintenance ($103.59), administration ($43.87), and cleaning and laundry ($42.02) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($115.28) and personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($110.66).
