Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care is 4.23 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 229 minutes against a 225-minute daily care target; RN time is 47 against 45.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$11 a day vs a $16 sector median; 48% enjoy meals vs 70.3% 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 | 95.86% | 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 | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 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 Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% of residents surveyed at Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 85.2% average across other homes by 14.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (95% against 81.8%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 88.6%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
On 7 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 90% of residents surveyed at Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care answered “always” and 5% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 67% answered “always” and 29% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 100% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 48% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 22.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 47% in 2024. Another 48% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care spent $11 per resident per day on food, 31% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.41 per resident per day, 46% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care, 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”.
48% 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 Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care provide?
Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care reported 229 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes above its target of 225 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 227 to 233.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 182 of the 229 minutes (79.5%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 20.5%). Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Southern Cross Care John Woodward Residential Aged Care spent $432.74 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $275.29 was 4% 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 ($64.22), accommodation and maintenance ($36.94), and cleaning and laundry ($22.08) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($171.89) and registered nurses ($55.76).
