Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Fairview 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 222 minutes against a 218-minute daily care target; RN time is 46 against 44.
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
87% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$14 a day vs a $16 sector median; 65% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes.
How well the home is run is below the survey average
73% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
82% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.5% 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: 2025 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 2025 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 | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.34% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Fairview provide?
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Fairview reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 218 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Fairview met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 222 to 227 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 176 of the 222 minutes (79.3%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 20.7%). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Fairview also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Fairview?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether the home is well run, 73% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Fairview answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 89.3% average across other homes by 16.3 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing (82% against 89.5%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (82% against 88.6%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 87% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 81.8%.
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, 43% answered “always”, 30% “most of the time” and 26% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 91% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Fairview answered “always” and 4% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 52% answered “always” and 43% “most of the time”.
How does Bolton Clarke Fairview spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Fairview spent $380.38 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.0% of it. Care and nursing spending of $239.68 was 10% 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?
Spending on other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($45.71), administration ($36.95), and cleaning and laundry ($25.06) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($159.03) and registered nurses ($60.62).
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Fairview?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Fairview said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 67% in 2024. Another 35% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Fairview spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bolton Clarke Fairview, 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.
