Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The residents’ experience rating for The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill is 3 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.62. Three findings are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Worth a closer look
Following up concerns is below the survey average
68% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
56% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% 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 | 2366 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2396 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.26% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.10% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
What do residents say about The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 68% of residents surveyed at The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 16.2 percentage points below the average of 84.2% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (80% against 89.1%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (84% against 92.7%).
On 6 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 36% answered “always”, 32% “most of the time” and 32% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 80% of residents surveyed at The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 64% answered “always” and 32% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 56% of residents surveyed at The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 11.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. Another 36% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.32 per resident per day, 14% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill, 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”.
56% 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 The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill provide?
In January to March 2026, The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill reported 216 minutes of care per resident per day, 1 minute above its target of 215 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 44.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 167 of the 216 minutes (77.3%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 20.4%) and enrolled nurses (5 minutes, 2.3%). The Cairns Aged Care Plus Centre at Chapel Hill also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
