Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy is 3.93 out of 5, against a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and one is worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
Residents report stronger support for independence
97% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
81% 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 | 89.32% | 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 | 70.26% | 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 Pemulwuy provide?
Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy reported 225 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 9 minutes above its target of 216 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 3 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
In three of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 217 to 226 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 225 minutes, personal care workers provided 179 (79.6%), followed by registered nurses (46 minutes, 20.4%). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether the home is well run, above the 89.3% average across other homes by 10.7 percentage points. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (97% 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.
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 81% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.5%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. When residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing, 35% answered “always”, 46% “most of the time” and 19% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
Asked whether they feel safe, 85% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy answered “always” and 15% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 69% answered “always” and 23% “most of the time”.
How does Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy spend on resident care?
Spending on care and nursing at Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy in the 2024–25 financial year was $238.26 per resident per day, 10% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $355.77 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 administration ($35.54), accommodation and maintenance ($28.83), and cleaning and laundry ($23.44) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($157.26) and registered nurses ($53.92).
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 77% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 6.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 69% in 2024. Another 23% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.46 per resident per day, 64% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bolton Clarke Pemulwuy 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”.
77% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
