Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Fairmont Aged Care Centre is 3.97 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 220 minutes against a 216-minute daily care target; RN time is 55 against 44.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
77% positive in 2025, compared with 61% in 2024: 16 percentage points higher.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
46% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
61% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
61% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.46% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.35% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.50% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.84% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Fairmont Aged Care Centre?
When residents surveyed at Fairmont Aged Care Centre for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 46% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 81.8% average across other homes by 35.8 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (61% against 89.5%) and whether the home is well run (61% against 89.3%).
At Fairmont Aged Care Centre, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 9 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 38% answered “always”, 8% “most of the time”, 46% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Fairmont Aged Care Centre were asked whether they feel safe, 69% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 38% answered “always” and 46% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Fairmont Aged Care Centre provide?
In January to March 2026, Fairmont Aged Care Centre reported 220 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 216 minutes. Registered nurses provided 55 of those minutes, 11 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Fairmont Aged Care Centre met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 216 to 222.
Who provides that care?
Of the 220 minutes, personal care workers provided 165 (75.0%), followed by registered nurses (55 minutes, 25.0%). In the same quarter, Fairmont Aged Care Centre also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Fairmont Aged Care Centre spend on resident care?
Total spending at Fairmont Aged Care Centre in the 2024–25 financial year was $412.87 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $240.29 was 9% below 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 accommodation and maintenance ($56.83), administration ($41.07), and cleaning and laundry ($29.31) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($112.32) and registered nurses ($65.81).
What is the food like at Fairmont Aged Care Centre?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Fairmont Aged Care Centre 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 61% in 2024. Another 23% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Fairmont Aged Care Centre spent $16 per resident per day on food, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.31 per resident per day, 11% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Fairmont Aged Care Centre, 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.
