Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Fairways is 4.15 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
73% positive in 2026, compared with 57% in 2025: 16 percentage points higher.
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
How well the home is run is below the survey average
82% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Kind and caring staff is below the survey average
91% 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Fairways?
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 Fairways answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 87.1% average across other homes by 12.9 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 92.7%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (90% against 84.2%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 82% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%. In all, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 27% answered “always”, 55% “most of the time” and 18% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Fairways were asked whether they feel safe, 77% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 64% answered “always” and 36% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Fairways?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 73% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Fairways said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 57% in 2025. Another 23% answered “some of the time” and 5% “never”.
Food spending at Bolton Clarke Fairways in January to March 2026 was $15 per resident per day, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.33 per resident per day, 18% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bolton Clarke Fairways reports that breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 40% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
73% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bolton Clarke Fairways spend on resident care?
Total spending at Bolton Clarke Fairways in the 2024–25 financial year was $388.07 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 64.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $250.07 was 6% 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 administration ($37.92), accommodation and maintenance ($37.25), and cleaning and laundry ($29.24) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($140.78) and registered nurses ($80.45).
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Fairways provide?
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Fairways reported 226 minutes of care per resident per day, 1 minute above its target of 225 minutes. Registered nurses provided 48 of those minutes, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
Bolton Clarke Fairways met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 224 to 235 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 175 of the 226 minutes (77.4%), followed by registered nurses (48 minutes, 21.2%) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes, 1.3%). Bolton Clarke Fairways also reported spending on physiotherapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
