Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough is 3.49 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
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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: 181 vs 197 minutes; registered nurses: 29 vs 40 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.19 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
72% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% 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 | 3.19 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough provide?
Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough reported 181 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 16 minutes below its target of 197 minutes. Registered nurses provided 29 of those minutes, 11 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 40.
Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough 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 181 to 193.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 138 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (29 minutes) and enrolled nurses (13 minutes). In the same quarter, Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 100% of residents surveyed at Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough answered “always” or “most of the time”, 19.8 percentage points above the average of 80.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (95% against 87.1%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 72% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%. 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?
On a visit, you can ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. Of residents asked whether the home is well run, 44% answered “always”, 28% “most of the time”, 22% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 72% of residents surveyed at Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough answered “always” and 22% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 72% answered “always” and 11% “most of the time”.
How does Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough in the 2024–25 financial year was $214.68 per resident per day, 19% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $366.10 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?
Other categories included administration ($47.12), accommodation and maintenance ($30), and cleaning and laundry ($25.37) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($131.84) and registered nurses ($41.02).
What is the food like at Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 67% of residents surveyed at Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 66% in 2025. Another 28% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.10 per resident per day, 64% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Churches of Christ Fair Haven Aged Care Service Maryborough 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”.
67% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
