Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Elderly Chinese Home is 4.12 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
77% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $13 vs a $16 sector median.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
77% positive in 2025, compared with 93% in 2024: 16 percentage points lower.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 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: 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Elderly Chinese Home?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Elderly Chinese Home answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff are kind and caring, 19 percentage points below the average of 96.0% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (77% against 88.6%) and whether they feel safe (85% against 96.5%).
On 8 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Elderly Chinese Home were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff get to know each resident. Of residents asked whether staff are kind and caring, 54% answered “always”, 23% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Elderly Chinese Home were asked whether they get the care they need, 46% answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Elderly Chinese Home?
When residents surveyed at Elderly Chinese Home for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 77% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 93% in 2024. Another 23% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Elderly Chinese Home spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $1.50 per resident per day, 436% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Elderly Chinese Home, 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 Elderly Chinese Home spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Elderly Chinese Home spent $404.21 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 69.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $280.21 was 6% above the sector median of $264.85. These figures 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 ($36.01), accommodation and maintenance ($23.14), and cleaning and laundry ($21.21) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($162.39) and registered nurses ($70.79).
How much care and nursing does Elderly Chinese Home provide?
In January to March 2026, Elderly Chinese Home reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day, matching its target of 228 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 1 minute above the registered-nurse target of 46.
In three of the last four quarters, Elderly Chinese Home met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 228 to 232.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 166 of the 228 minutes (72.8%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 20.6%) and enrolled nurses (15 minutes, 6.6%). Elderly Chinese Home also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
