Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel is 3.23 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.2% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 185 vs 191 minutes; registered nurses: 91 vs 40 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.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.24% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel provide?
Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel reported 185 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 6 minutes below its target of 191 minutes. Registered nurses provided 91 of those minutes, 51 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 40.
In three of the last four quarters, Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 185 to 241.
Who provides that care?
Registered nurses provided 91 of the 185 minutes (49.2%), followed by enrolled nurses (53 minutes, 28.6%) and personal care workers (41 minutes, 22.2%). Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel?
When residents surveyed at Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 21.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 83% in 2024. Another 8% answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel spent $31 per resident per day on food, 94% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $1 per resident per day, 257% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all 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”.
92% 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 Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 88.6% average across other homes by 11.4 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%.
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, 17% answered “always”, 50% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel were asked whether they feel safe, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”.
How does Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Yarriambiack Lodge Hostel spent $314.09 per resident per day on care and nursing, 19% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $686.59 per resident per day. 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 accommodation and maintenance ($168.12), administration ($94.26), and cleaning and laundry ($46.55) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to registered nurses ($130.06) and enrolled nurses ($100.10).
