Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Charles Young is 3.75 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Two findings stand out as positive, and three are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
72% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
66% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
88% 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 | 96.25% | 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 | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 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 Charles Young provide?
Bolton Clarke Charles Young reported 227 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 5 minutes above its target of 222 minutes. Registered nurses provided 47 of those minutes, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Bolton Clarke Charles Young met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 216 to 232.
Who provides that care?
Of the 227 minutes, personal care workers provided 180 (79.3%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 20.7%). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Charles Young also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Charles Young?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 66% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Charles Young answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, below the 80.3% average across other homes by 14.3 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring (88% against 95.4%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (78% against 84.2%).
On 6 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Bolton Clarke Charles Young were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 25% answered “always”, 41% “most of the time”, 25% “some of the time” and 9% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 50% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Charles Young answered “always” and 44% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 38% answered “always” and 56% “most of the time”.
How does Bolton Clarke Charles Young spend on resident care?
Total spending at Bolton Clarke Charles Young in the 2024–25 financial year was $413.56 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.1% of it. Care and nursing spending of $244.33 was 8% below the sector median of $264.85. These amounts are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($79.48), administration ($35.15), and cleaning and laundry ($22.81) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($155.89) and registered nurses ($59.82).
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Charles Young?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 72% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Charles Young said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 4.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 66% in 2025. Another 19% answered “some of the time” and 9% “never”.
Food spending at Bolton Clarke Charles Young 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 $0.14 per resident per day, 50% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bolton Clarke Charles Young, breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 39% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
72% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
