Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Cabrini is 4.23 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 237 minutes against a 230-minute daily care target; RN time is 49 against 45.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$12 a day vs a $16 sector median; 59% enjoy meals vs 67.3% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
59% positive in 2026, compared with 77% in 2025: 18 percentage points lower.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
77% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% 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 | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.16% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.35% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Cabrini provide?
Bolton Clarke Cabrini reported 237 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 7 minutes above its target of 230 minutes. Registered nurses provided 49 of those minutes, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In each of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Cabrini met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 235 to 239.
Who provides that care?
Of the 237 minutes, personal care workers provided 188 (79.3%), followed by registered nurses (49 minutes, 20.7%). Bolton Clarke Cabrini also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Cabrini?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Cabrini for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 59% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 8.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 77% in 2025. Another 41% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Cabrini spent $12 per resident per day on food, 25% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.20 per resident per day, 29% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bolton Clarke Cabrini, 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”.
59% 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 Bolton Clarke Cabrini?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 77% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Cabrini answered “always” or “most of the time”, 7.2 percentage points below the average of 84.2% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (86% against 92.7%) and whether they feel safe (91% against 96.3%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 96% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%. Altogether, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 45% answered “always”, 32% “most of the time” and 23% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Cabrini were asked whether they get the care they need, 86% answered “always” and 5% “most of the time”.
How does Bolton Clarke Cabrini spend on resident care?
Total spending at Bolton Clarke Cabrini in the 2024–25 financial year was $373.19 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 66.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $247.85 was 6% below the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($34.72), cleaning and laundry ($31.07), and accommodation and maintenance ($28.80) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($164.33) and registered nurses ($54.71).
