Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield is 3.93 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
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
90% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
58% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% 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: 2026 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 2026 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 58% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share was also 58% in 2025. Another 37% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield spent $24 per resident per day on food, 50% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.14 per resident per day, 50% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
58% 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 Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield provide?
In January to March 2026, Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield reported 240 minutes of care per resident per day, 8 minutes above its target of 232 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 230 to 240 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 240 minutes, personal care workers provided 194 (80.8%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 19.2%). In the same quarter, Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 100% of residents surveyed at Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 89.1% average across other homes by 10.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (90% against 80.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (95% against 87.1%).
On 7 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield were asked whether they feel safe, 95% answered “always” and 5% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 84% answered “always” and 11% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How does Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield spend on resident care?
Total spending at Uniting Aldersgate Lilyfield in the 2024–25 financial year was $433.37 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $276.11 was 4% above 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($57.37), accommodation and maintenance ($55.19), and cleaning and laundry ($18.45) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($180.25) and registered nurses ($62.30).
