Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for The Churchill Retreat is 3.05 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. One finding stands out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
How well the home is run is above the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 39% enjoy meals vs 67.4% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 226 vs 231 minutes; registered nurses: 46 vs 46 minutes per resident per day.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.37% | 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 | 80.27% | 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 | 92.72% | 1080 |
What do residents say about The Churchill Retreat?
When residents surveyed at The Churchill Retreat for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 61% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 80.3% average across other homes by 19.3 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (77% against 95.4%) and whether they have a say in their daily activities (76% against 92.7%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 46% answered “always”, 15% “most of the time”, 31% “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 62% of residents surveyed at The Churchill Retreat answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 23% answered “always” and 69% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at The Churchill Retreat?
When residents surveyed at The Churchill Retreat for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 39% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 28.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share fell from 54% in 2025. Another 62% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, The Churchill Retreat spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.15 per resident per day, 46% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
The Churchill Retreat 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”.
39% 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 Churchill Retreat provide?
The Churchill Retreat reported 226 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes below its target of 231 minutes. Registered nurses provided 46 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 46.
In one of the last four quarters, The Churchill Retreat met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 226 to 234.
Who provides that care?
Of the 226 minutes, personal care workers provided 168 (74.3%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 20.4%) and enrolled nurses (12 minutes, 5.3%). In the same quarter, The Churchill Retreat also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does The Churchill Retreat spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, The Churchill Retreat spent $220.78 per resident per day on care and nursing, 17% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $381.67 per resident per day. 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 ($53.72), accommodation and maintenance ($45.72), and cleaning and laundry ($27.30) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($127.18) and registered nurses ($50.78).
