Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre is 3.45 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
74% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
74% positive in 2025, compared with 87% in 2024: 13 percentage points lower.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
65% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% 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: 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 | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 16.8 percentage points below the average of 81.8% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they feel safe (82% against 96.5%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (83% against 93.2%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
At Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 4 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 43% answered “always”, 22% “most of the time”, 30% “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 74% of residents surveyed at Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre answered “always” and 22% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre provide?
Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre reported 236 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 231 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In two of the last four quarters, Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 223 to 236 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 188 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (47 minutes). In the same quarter, Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre?
When residents surveyed at Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 3.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 87% in 2024. Another 22% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.47 per resident per day, 68% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre 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”.
74% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Cherrybrook Christian Care Centre spent $398.58 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 69.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $276.03 was 4% above the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($41.66), cleaning and laundry ($22.20) and administration ($17.46) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($163.13) and registered nurses ($65.62).
