Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith is 3.6 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. One finding stands 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 239 minutes against a 229-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 45.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
43% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
57% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
64% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% 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 | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.12% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.29% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 43% of residents surveyed at Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 37.3 percentage points below the average of 80.3% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (57% against 89.1%) and whether the home is well run (64% against 88.1%).
On 8 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 29% answered “always”, 14% “most of the time”, 50% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith were asked whether they feel safe, 57% answered “always” and 36% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 36% answered “always” and 50% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith provide?
Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith reported 239 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 10 minutes above its target of 229 minutes. Of those minutes, 48 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 239 to 249.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 191 of the 239 minutes (79.9%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 20.1%). Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith?
When residents surveyed at Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 57% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 10.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 53% in 2025. Another 36% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.19 per resident per day, 32% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith, 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”.
57% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith spend on resident care?
Total spending at Uniting Edinglassie Lodge Penrith in the 2024–25 financial year was $441.91 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $289.91 was 9% 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 ($49.68), accommodation and maintenance ($49.56), and cleaning and laundry ($21.30) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($189.53) and registered nurses ($67.19).
