Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bethanie Como is 3.75 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
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
74% positive in 2026, compared with 64% in 2025: 10 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.
Residents report stronger support for independence
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 218 vs 210 minutes; registered nurses: 42 vs 43 minutes per resident per day.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
63% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% 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.
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 | 89.11% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Bethanie Como?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 74% of residents surveyed at Bethanie Como said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 64% in 2025. Another 26% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bethanie Como spent $23 per resident per day on food, 44% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.37 per resident per day, 32% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bethanie Como, 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”.
74% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Bethanie Como provide?
Bethanie Como reported 218 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 8 minutes above its target of 210 minutes. Registered nurses provided 42 of those minutes, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Bethanie Como met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 210 to 219 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 165 of the 218 minutes (75.7%), followed by registered nurses (42 minutes, 19.3%) and enrolled nurses (11 minutes, 5.0%). In the same quarter, Bethanie Como also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Bethanie Como?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 95% of residents surveyed at Bethanie Como answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 87.1% average across other homes by 7.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 63% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.1%. In all, 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. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 21% answered “always”, 42% “most of the time” and 37% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Bethanie Como were asked whether they feel safe, 84% answered “always” and 16% “most of the time”.
How does Bethanie Como spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Bethanie Como in the 2024–25 financial year was $312.70 per resident per day, 18% above the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $553.89 per resident per day. 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 ($107.16), accommodation and maintenance ($57.27), and cleaning and laundry ($25.46) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($170.56) and registered nurses ($70.60).
