Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Tandara Lodge is 4.23 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 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.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$12 a day vs a $16 sector median; 61% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 211 vs 207 minutes; registered nurses: 40 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
61% positive in 2025, compared with 77% in 2024: 16 percentage points lower.
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 | 3.06 | 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 | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Tandara Lodge?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 61% of residents surveyed at Tandara Lodge said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 9.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 77% in 2024. Another 23% answered “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
Food spending at Tandara Lodge in January to March 2026 was $12 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.58 per resident per day, 107% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Tandara 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”.
61% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Tandara Lodge provide?
In January to March 2026, Tandara Lodge reported 211 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 207 minutes. Registered nurses provided 40 of those minutes, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 42.
In two of the last four quarters, Tandara Lodge met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 197 to 213 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 142 minutes, followed by registered nurses (40 minutes) and enrolled nurses (28 minutes). In the same quarter, Tandara Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Tandara Lodge?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 85% of residents surveyed at Tandara Lodge answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, below the 93.2% average across other homes by 8.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (84% against 89.5%) and whether they feel safe (92% against 96.5%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%. Altogether, answers on 5 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?
On a visit, you can ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 77% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time” and 15% “never”; none answered “some of the time”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 85% of residents surveyed at Tandara Lodge answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”.
How does Tandara Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Tandara Lodge spent $420.06 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $255.11 was 4% 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 accommodation and maintenance ($44.66), cleaning and laundry ($33.97) and administration ($33.74) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($124.05) and registered nurses ($62.95).
