Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Blue Haven Bonaira is 3.33 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
Staff communication is a relative strength
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.2% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
96% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Quality measures rating trails the national average
1 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
63% 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 | 2365 |
| Residents’ experience | 3.62 | 2434 |
| Compliance | 4.83 | 2395 |
| Staffing | 3.18 | 2454 |
| Quality measures | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.24% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Blue Haven Bonaira?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 96% of residents surveyed at Blue Haven Bonaira answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, above the 80.2% average across other homes by 15.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (96% against 89.1%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (92% against 87.1%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
At Blue Haven Bonaira, answers were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes on 6 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 89% of residents surveyed at Blue Haven Bonaira answered “always” and 7% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 81% answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Blue Haven Bonaira was 96% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
What is the food like at Blue Haven Bonaira?
When residents surveyed at Blue Haven Bonaira for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 63% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. Another 26% answered “some of the time” and 11% “never”.
Food spending at Blue Haven Bonaira in January to March 2026 was $18 per resident per day, 13% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.90 per resident per day, 221% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Blue Haven Bonaira 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”.
63% 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 Blue Haven Bonaira provide?
In January to March 2026, Blue Haven Bonaira reported 211 minutes of care per resident per day, matching its target of 211 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 43.
Who provides that care?
Of the 211 minutes, personal care workers provided 167 (79.1%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 19.4%) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes, 1.4%). Blue Haven Bonaira also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists and dietitians in the same quarter.
