Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for The Pioneers Lodge is 3.71 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
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
78% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% across other homes.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 232 vs 212 minutes; registered nurses: 33 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% 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 | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 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 | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does The Pioneers Lodge provide?
The Pioneers Lodge reported 232 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 20 minutes above its target of 212 minutes. Registered nurses provided 33 of those minutes, 10 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
The Pioneers Lodge met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 234.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 199 of the 232 minutes (85.8%), followed by registered nurses (33 minutes, 14.2%). In the same quarter, The Pioneers Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at The Pioneers Lodge?
When residents surveyed at The Pioneers Lodge for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 7.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 87% in 2024. Another 17% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Food spending at The Pioneers Lodge in January to March 2026 was $24 per resident per day, 50% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.50 per resident per day, 79% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to The Pioneers Lodge, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all cooked fresh. Of all meals, 74% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
78% 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 The Pioneers Lodge?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 95% of residents surveyed at The Pioneers Lodge answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 89.5% average across other homes by 5.5 percentage points. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (94% against 89.3%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.9%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 93.2%. In all, answers on 3 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below 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, 72% answered “always”, 11% “most of the time”, 6% “some of the time” and 11% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 78% of residents surveyed at The Pioneers Lodge answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 89% answered “always” and 6% “most of the time”.
How does The Pioneers Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, The Pioneers Lodge spent $412.77 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $245.89 was 7% 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($49.27), cleaning and laundry ($38.48), and accommodation and maintenance ($37.13) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($161.49) and registered nurses ($43.25).
