Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Capella Bay is 3.93 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
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.
Residents report stronger support for independence
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
65% positive in 2026, compared with 88% in 2025: 23 percentage points lower.
Compliance rating trails the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 4.83 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
92% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.71% | 1080 |
How does Bolton Clarke Capella Bay spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Capella Bay spent $210.26 per resident per day on care and nursing, 21% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $403.90 per resident per day. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($94.05), cleaning and laundry ($26.62) and administration ($26.39) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($125.71) and registered nurses ($51.07).
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Capella Bay?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Capella Bay for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 65% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 23 percentage points lower than the 88% recorded in 2025. Another 31% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Capella Bay spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% 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?
Bolton Clarke Capella Bay 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”.
65% 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 Capella Bay?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 100% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Capella Bay answered “always” or “most of the time”, 12.9 percentage points above the average of 87.1% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (89% against 80.2%) and whether the home is well run (92% against 88.1%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 92% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff get to know each resident. Of residents asked whether staff are kind and caring, 73% answered “always”, 19% “most of the time” and 8% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Capella Bay were asked whether they feel safe, 88% answered “always” and 12% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 54% answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Capella Bay provide?
Bolton Clarke Capella Bay reported 218 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 217 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 44.
In three of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Capella Bay met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 201 to 220 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 218 minutes, personal care workers provided 168 (77.1%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 20.2%) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes, 2.8%). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Capella Bay also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
