Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Amana Living James Brown Care Centre is 3.97 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
36% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.4% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
71% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% 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 | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.37% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Amana Living James Brown Care Centre?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 36% of residents surveyed at Amana Living James Brown Care Centre said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 31.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 43% in 2025. Another 43% answered “some of the time” and 21% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Amana Living James Brown Care Centre spent $16 per resident per day on food, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.22 per resident per day, 21% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Amana Living James Brown Care Centre, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 44% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
36% 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 Amana Living James Brown Care Centre?
When residents surveyed at Amana Living James Brown Care Centre for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 92.7% average across other homes by 7.3 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (93% against 88.1%) and whether staff treat them with respect (100% against 95.4%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 71% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 84.2%. 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 the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 21% answered “always”, 50% “most of the time” and 29% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Amana Living James Brown Care Centre were asked whether they feel safe, 79% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 71% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Amana Living James Brown Care Centre provide?
In January to March 2026, Amana Living James Brown Care Centre reported 194 minutes of care per resident per day, 5 minutes above its target of 189 minutes. Registered nurses provided 41 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 39.
In three of the last four quarters, Amana Living James Brown Care Centre met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 189 to 195.
Who provides that care?
Of the 194 minutes, personal care workers provided 142 (73.2%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 21.1%) and enrolled nurses (11 minutes, 5.7%). In the same quarter, Amana Living James Brown Care Centre also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists and dietitians.
How does Amana Living James Brown Care Centre spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Amana Living James Brown Care Centre spent $234.73 per resident per day on care and nursing, 11% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $378.59 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 administration ($62.53), accommodation and maintenance ($27.68), and cleaning and laundry ($17.41) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($125.62) and registered nurses ($55.87).
