Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service is 3.08 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Staff communication is a relative strength
86% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
91% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 43% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 198 vs 200 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 41 minutes per resident per day.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 43% of residents surveyed at Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 24.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 86% in 2025. Another 52% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.16 per resident per day, 43% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. All meals are prepared on site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
43% 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 Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service?
When residents surveyed at Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 15.7 percentage points below the average of 92.7% across other homes. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (72% against 84.2%) and whether the home is well run (85% against 88.1%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 86% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%. Altogether, answers on 2 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?
On a visit, you can ask about how residents have a say in daily activities. Of residents asked whether they have a say in their daily activities, 67% answered “always”, 10% “most of the time”, 19% “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 81% of residents surveyed at Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service answered “always” and 14% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 67% answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”.
How does Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service in the 2024–25 financial year was $231.71 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $398.50 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 ($52.17), accommodation and maintenance ($49.97), and cleaning and laundry ($25.20) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($144.86) and registered nurses ($57.10).
How much care and nursing does Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service provide?
Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service reported 198 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 2 minutes below its target of 200 minutes. Registered nurses provided 41 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 41.
In two of the last four quarters, Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 192 to 206.
Who provides that care?
Of the 198 minutes, personal care workers provided 157 (79.3%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 20.7%). Churches of Christ Fassifern Aged Care Service also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
