Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Lilydale is 4 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
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.
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
$13 a day vs a $16 sector median; 57% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes.
Quality measures rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.07 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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 | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.81% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.27% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Lilydale?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 57% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Lilydale said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 13.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 60% in 2024. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 19% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Lilydale spent $13 per resident per day on food, 19% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.13 per resident per day, 54% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bolton Clarke Lilydale, 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”.
57% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Lilydale?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Lilydale for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 87% answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 81.8% average across other homes by 5.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (101% against 95.9%) and whether they feel safe (100% against 96.4%), answers were also above the average for other homes.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 81% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 85.2%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 56% answered “always”, 25% “most of the time”, 6% “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Lilydale were asked whether they get the care they need, 56% answered “always” and 38% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Lilydale provide?
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Lilydale reported 207 minutes of care per resident per day, 3 minutes above its target of 204 minutes. Of those minutes, 44 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
In three of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Lilydale met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 207 to 213 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 207 minutes, personal care workers provided 154 (74.4%), followed by registered nurses (44 minutes, 21.3%) and enrolled nurses (9 minutes, 4.3%). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Lilydale also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Bolton Clarke Lilydale spend on resident care?
Total spending at Bolton Clarke Lilydale in the 2024–25 financial year was $371.90 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 66.4% of it. Care and nursing spending of $246.93 was 7% below 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 ($36.65), accommodation and maintenance ($30.65), and cleaning and laundry ($25.20) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($156.96) and registered nurses ($54.11).
