Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville is 3.86 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.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
73% positive in 2026, compared with 53% in 2025: 20 percentage points higher.
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
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 228 vs 228 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 45 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.
Fewer residents feel they have a say in daily life
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% 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 | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they have a say in their daily activities, 83% of residents surveyed at BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.7 percentage points below the average of 92.7% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (72% against 80.3%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (77% against 84.2%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 95% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%. Altogether, answers on 5 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 72% answered “always”, 11% “most of the time” and 17% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville were asked whether they feel safe, 78% answered “always” and 22% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 72% answered “always” and 28% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 73% of residents surveyed at BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 53% in 2025. Another 28% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above 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?
BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville 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”.
73% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville spend on resident care?
Total spending at BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville in the 2024–25 financial year was $468.35 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $286.54 was 8% 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 ($71.02), cleaning and laundry ($31.62), and accommodation and maintenance ($28.43) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($168.94) and registered nurses ($68.16).
How much care and nursing does BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville provide?
In January to March 2026, BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day, matching its target of 228 minutes. Registered nurses provided 42 of those minutes, 3 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 224 to 246.
Who provides that care?
Of the 228 minutes, personal care workers provided 185 (81.1%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 18.4%) and enrolled nurses (1 minute, 0.4%). In the same quarter, BaptistCare Maranoa Centre - Alstonville also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
