Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens is 3.78 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
101% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
Staff communication is a relative strength
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
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
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
66% positive in 2025, compared with 87% in 2024: 21 percentage points lower.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
66% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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 | 89.33% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.58% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 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 | 93.19% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens provide?
Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens reported 221 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 7 minutes above its target of 214 minutes. Registered nurses provided 43 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 43.
In three of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 235 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 176 of the 221 minutes (79.6%), followed by registered nurses (43 minutes, 19.5%) and enrolled nurses (2 minutes, 0.9%). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff explain things to them, 18.2 percentage points above the average of 81.8% across other homes. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (101% against 88.6%) and whether staff follow up when they raise things (92% against 85.2%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
On 8 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens were asked whether they feel safe, 92% answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 79% answered “always” and 21% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
For choice and independence, the share of “always” or “most of the time” answers at Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens was 92% when asked whether they have a say in their daily activities.
How does Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens spent $237.18 per resident per day on care and nursing, 10% below the sector median of $264.85. Total spending was $375.84 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?
Other categories included accommodation and maintenance ($37.21), administration ($36.95), and cleaning and laundry ($24.75) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($161.14) and registered nurses ($53.27).
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 66% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 4.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 87% in 2024. Another 29% answered “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Food spending at Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens 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 $0.29 per resident per day, 4% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bolton Clarke Galleon Gardens, breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 43% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
66% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
