Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Montclaire is 4.04 out of 5, against 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 223 minutes against a 212-minute daily care target; RN time is 58 against 43.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Kind and caring staff is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.0% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Following up concerns is below the survey average
59% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% across other homes.
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
58% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
50% positive in 2025, compared with 84% in 2024: 34 percentage points lower.
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 | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.83% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Montclaire?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 59% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Montclaire answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 26.2 percentage points below the average of 85.2% across other homes. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (58% against 81.8%) and whether the home is well run (67% against 89.3%).
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether staff are kind and caring: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.0%. In all, answers on 2 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. Of residents asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 17% answered “always”, 42% “most of the time” and 42% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 75% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Montclaire answered “always” and 17% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 33% answered “always” and 50% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Montclaire provide?
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Montclaire reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day, 11 minutes above its target of 212 minutes. Of those minutes, 58 came from registered nurses, 15 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In each of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Montclaire met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 222 to 235 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 164 minutes, followed by registered nurses (58 minutes). Bolton Clarke Montclaire also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Montclaire?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 50% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Montclaire said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 20.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 84% in 2024. Another 42% answered “some of the time” and 8% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Montclaire spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.30 per resident per day, 7% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bolton Clarke Montclaire reports that 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”.
50% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bolton Clarke Montclaire spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Montclaire spent $297.20 per resident per day on care and nursing, 12% above the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $456.67 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($43.59), accommodation and maintenance ($41.20), and cleaning and laundry ($30.36) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($154.49) and registered nurses ($90.13).
