Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) is 3.82 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 240 minutes against a 213-minute daily care target; RN time is 45 against 43.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Respectful treatment is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
61% positive in 2026, compared with 77% in 2025: 16 percentage points lower.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
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 | 96.26% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 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 | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.43% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) provide?
Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) reported 240 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 27 minutes above its target of 213 minutes. Of those minutes, 45 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 230 to 250 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 240 minutes, personal care workers provided 195 (81.2%), followed by registered nurses (45 minutes, 18.8%). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care)?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether the home is well run, 70% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 18.1 percentage points below the average of 88.1% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (79% against 92.7%) and whether staff are kind and caring (82% against 95.4%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. Of residents asked whether the home is well run, 35% answered “always”, 35% “most of the time”, 17% “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) were asked whether they feel safe, 83% answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 91% answered “always” and 4% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care)?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 61% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 6.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 77% in 2025. Another 26% answered “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
Food spending at Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.16 per resident per day, 43% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care), 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”.
61% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) spend on resident care?
Total spending at Bolton Clarke Coastal Waters (PKA - Coastal Waters Aged Care) in the 2024–25 financial year was $402.73 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 68.3% of it. Care and nursing spending of $274.94 was 4% above 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 ($35.04), accommodation and maintenance ($31.57), and cleaning and laundry ($24.58) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($179.92) and registered nurses ($69.60).
