Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Centaur is 4.45 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is 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.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 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
Support for independence is below the survey average
83% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% 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 | 96.24% | 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 | 87.16% | 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 |
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Centaur provide?
Bolton Clarke Centaur reported 206 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 8 minutes above its target of 198 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 40.
In three of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Centaur met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 198 to 206.
Who provides that care?
Of the 206 minutes, personal care workers provided 159 (77.2%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 21.4%) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes, 1.5%). Bolton Clarke Centaur also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Bolton Clarke Centaur spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Centaur spent $223.19 per resident per day on care and nursing, 16% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $370.39 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 accommodation and maintenance ($45.18), administration ($36.63), and cleaning and laundry ($30.47) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($132.39) and registered nurses ($56.04).
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Centaur?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Centaur for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 94% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 13.8 percentage points above the average of 80.2% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (94% against 84.2%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves: 83% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 87.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 65% answered “always”, 18% “most of the time”, 12% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 88% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Centaur answered “always” and 12% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Centaur?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Centaur said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share rose from 63% in 2025. Another 35% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
Food spending at Bolton Clarke Centaur in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.52 per resident per day, 86% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bolton Clarke Centaur, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 46% are prepared on site and the rest off 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.
