Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service is 3.63 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
77% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $14 vs a $16 sector median.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
77% positive in 2025, compared with 62% in 2024: 15 percentage points higher.
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 210 vs 207 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 42 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.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% 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 | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.18% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service?
When residents surveyed at Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 18.2 percentage points above the average of 81.8% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (100% against 85.2%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%).
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.9%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff are expected to treat residents. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect, 77% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service were asked whether they feel safe, 100% answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always”.
What is the food like at Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 62% in 2024. Another 23% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service in January to March 2026 was $14 per resident per day, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.54 per resident per day, 93% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service, 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”.
77% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service spend on resident care?
Total spending at Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service in the 2024–25 financial year was $461.35 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 61.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $284.05 was 7% 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 administration ($67.17), accommodation and maintenance ($46.16), and cleaning and laundry ($23.34) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($149.35) and registered nurses ($83.91).
How much care and nursing does Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service provide?
In January to March 2026, Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service reported 210 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 207 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 42.
Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 209 to 212.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 159 minutes, followed by registered nurses (41 minutes) and enrolled nurses (9 minutes). Churches of Christ Palms Aged Care Service also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
