Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Maranatha House is 4.01 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
93% positive in 2026, compared with 65% in 2025: 28 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 232 vs 217 minutes; registered nurses: 33 vs 44 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.3% 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: 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 | 3.06 | 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 | 67.31% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What is the food like at Maranatha House?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 93% of residents surveyed at Maranatha House said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 25.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 65% in 2025. Another 7% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Maranatha House spent $20 per resident per day on food, 25% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.24 per resident per day, 14% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Maranatha House 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”.
93% 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 Maranatha House provide?
In January to March 2026, Maranatha House reported 232 minutes of care per resident per day, 15 minutes above its target of 217 minutes. Registered nurses provided 33 of those minutes, 11 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 44.
Maranatha House met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 203 to 232 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 190 minutes, followed by registered nurses (33 minutes) and enrolled nurses (10 minutes). Maranatha House also reported spending on physiotherapists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Maranatha House?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% of residents surveyed at Maranatha House answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 84.2% average across other homes by 15.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (93% against 87.1%) and whether staff explain things to them (86% against 80.3%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about what the home does when a resident says they feel unsafe. When residents were asked whether they feel safe, 79% answered “always”, 14% “most of the time” and 7% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 93% of residents surveyed at Maranatha House answered “always”.
How does Maranatha House spend on resident care?
Total spending at Maranatha House in the 2024–25 financial year was $416.14 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $258.45 was 2% 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($32.85), accommodation and maintenance ($30.62), and cleaning and laundry ($29.90) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($146.19) and registered nurses ($36.47).
