Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care is 3.63 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
Food enjoyment is above average, with lower reported spending
79% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes; spending is $11 vs a $16 sector median.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
78% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.5% across other homes.
Fewer residents consistently feel safe
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.5% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 79% of residents surveyed at Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 8.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 86% in 2024. Another 21% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care in January to March 2026 was $11 per resident per day, 31% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.10 per resident per day, 64% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care 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”.
79% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether the home is well run, 10.7 percentage points above the average of 89.3% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (93% against 88.6%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The widest gap below other homes came when residents were asked whether they get the care they need: 78% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 94.5%. In all, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how care plans are reviewed and changed. Of residents asked whether they get the care they need, 71% answered “always”, 7% “most of the time”, 14% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 86% of residents surveyed at Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care answered “always” and 7% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care provide?
Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care reported 212 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes above its target of 208 minutes. Of those minutes, 45 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 205 to 212.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 167 of the 212 minutes (78.8%), followed by registered nurses (45 minutes, 21.2%). Southern Cross Care St Michael's 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 St Michael's Residential Aged Care spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Southern Cross Care St Michael's Residential Aged Care spent $466.86 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $278.10 was 5% 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 ($74.19), accommodation and maintenance ($48.54), and cleaning and laundry ($23.94) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($158.79) and registered nurses ($67.26).
