Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village is 3.93 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.2% across other homes.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 209 vs 201 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 42 minutes per resident per day.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
69% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Support for independence is below the survey average
84% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% 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 | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.24% | 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 Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village?
When residents surveyed at Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 14.8 percentage points above the average of 85.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether the home is well run (100% against 89.3%) and whether staff know what they are doing (100% against 89.5%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 69% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%. In all, answers on 2 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 how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 23% answered “always”, 46% “most of the time” and 31% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village were asked whether they feel safe, 69% answered “always” and 31% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village?
When residents surveyed at Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 21.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share fell from 100% in 2024. Another 8% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.33 per resident per day, 18% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village 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”.
92% 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 Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village provide?
In January to March 2026, Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village reported 209 minutes of care per resident per day, 8 minutes above its target of 201 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 1 minute below the registered-nurse target of 42.
Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 184 to 209 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 209 minutes, personal care workers provided 157 (75.1%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 19.6%) and enrolled nurses (11 minutes, 5.3%). Deborah Cheetham Retirement Village also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
