Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Wisteria Lodge is 4.52 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 consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
83% 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
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
91% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.32% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Wisteria Lodge provide?
Wisteria Lodge reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 19 minutes above its target of 209 minutes. Registered nurses provided 50 of those minutes, 7 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
Wisteria Lodge met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 206 to 228 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 161 of the 228 minutes (70.6%), followed by registered nurses (50 minutes, 21.9%) and enrolled nurses (17 minutes, 7.5%). Wisteria Lodge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Wisteria Lodge?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 83% of residents surveyed at Wisteria Lodge said they like the food “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 8% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Wisteria Lodge spent $21 per resident per day on food, 31% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, Wisteria Lodge reported no spending on dietitians, against a sector median of $0.28 per resident per day.
How are meals prepared?
According to Wisteria Lodge, 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
What do residents say about Wisteria Lodge?
When residents surveyed at Wisteria Lodge for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 11.8 percentage points above the average of 80.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 84.2%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.1%. 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 58% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 92% of residents surveyed at Wisteria Lodge answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 83% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
How does Wisteria Lodge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Wisteria Lodge spent $460.65 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $284.05 was 7% above 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 ($48.04), accommodation and maintenance ($35.96), and cleaning and laundry ($28.40) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($144.22) and registered nurses ($75.38).
