Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool is 3.93 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 223 minutes against a 221-minute daily care target; RN time is 47 against 45.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
75% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
91% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% 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 | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 15.8 percentage points above the average of 84.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 87.1%) and whether the home is well run (100% against 88.1%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 75% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%. Altogether, 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 staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 25% answered “always”, 50% “most of the time” and 25% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 75% of residents surveyed at Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 75% in 2025. Another 17% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.25 per resident per day, 11% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool 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”.
83% 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 Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool provide?
In January to March 2026, Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day, 2 minutes above its target of 221 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 222 to 236.
Who provides that care?
Of the 223 minutes, personal care workers provided 176 (78.9%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 21.1%). Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool spend on resident care?
Total spending at Uniting Bernard Austin Lodge Liverpool in the 2024–25 financial year was $433.42 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.9% of it. Care and nursing spending of $281.40 was 6% 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?
Other categories included administration ($57.10), accommodation and maintenance ($40.32), and cleaning and laundry ($18.85) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($177.51) and registered nurses ($66.44).
