Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care is 3.49 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 198 vs 208 minutes; registered nurses: 36 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% 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 | 3.19 | 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 | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care provide?
In January to March 2026, Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care reported 198 minutes of care per resident per day, 10 minutes below its target of 208 minutes. Registered nurses provided 36 of those minutes, 7 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
In none of the last four quarters did Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 198 to 207.
Who provides that care?
Of the 198 minutes, personal care workers provided 131 (66.2%), followed by registered nurses (36 minutes, 18.2%) and enrolled nurses (31 minutes, 15.7%). Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care?
When residents surveyed at Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care 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 77% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.60 per resident per day, 114% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care 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”.
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 Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care?
When residents surveyed at Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.7 percentage points above the average of 89.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (92% against 81.8%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 85.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.5%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 85% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care were asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
How does Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Sandpiper Lodge Residential Care spent $426.56 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $259.79 was 2% below the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($52.29), accommodation and maintenance ($37.22), and cleaning and laundry ($27) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($127.59) and registered nurses ($51.87).
