Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care is 3.75 out of 5, compared with 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 230 minutes against a 225-minute daily care target; RN time is 48 against 45.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents report stronger support for independence
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$12 a day vs a $16 sector median; 46% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
46% positive in 2026, compared with 69% in 2025: 23 percentage points lower.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
76% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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 | 96.26% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care?
When residents surveyed at Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff are kind and caring, 76% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 95.4% average across other homes by 19.4 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (69% against 84.2%) and whether they feel safe (84% against 96.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.1%.
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, 38% answered “always”, 38% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
Asked whether they get the care they need, 23% of residents surveyed at Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care answered “always” and 62% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 46% of residents surveyed at Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 21.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 69% in 2025. Another 38% answered “some of the time” and 15% “never”.
Food spending at Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care in January to March 2026 was $12 per resident per day, 25% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Southern Cross Care St Francis 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”.
46% 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 St Francis Residential Aged Care provide?
Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care reported 230 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 225 minutes. Registered nurses provided 48 of those minutes, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 228 to 238.
Who provides that care?
Of the 230 minutes, personal care workers provided 182 (79.1%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 20.9%). In the same quarter, Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care also reported spending on podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care spend on resident care?
Total spending at Southern Cross Care St Francis Residential Aged Care in the 2024–25 financial year was $463.07 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 58.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $272.03 was 3% above 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 administration ($64.48), accommodation and maintenance ($54.88), and cleaning and laundry ($28.71) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($165.57) and registered nurses ($56.11).
