Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens is 3.6 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
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 92.7% across other homes.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Residents show greater confidence in staff skills
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
3 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is below the survey average
74% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Getting needed care is below the survey average
87% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 94.4% 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 | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.43% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.23% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they have a say in their daily activities, 100% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 92.7% average across other homes by 7.3 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (93% against 88.1%) and whether staff know what they are doing (93% against 89.1%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things: 74% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 84.2%. Altogether, 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?
A visit is a chance to ask about how the home records and follows up concerns. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 27% answered “always”, 47% “most of the time”, 20% “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens were asked whether they feel safe, 73% answered “always” and 27% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 60% answered “always” and 27% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 66% answered “always” or “most of the time”, within 3 percentage points of the 67.3% average across other homes. The share fell from 74% in 2025. Another 33% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens spent $14 per resident per day on food, 13% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.08 per resident per day, 71% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens 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”.
66% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens spent $395.51 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 70.5% of it. Care and nursing spending of $278.97 was 5% above 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?
Spending on other categories included administration ($35.41), accommodation and maintenance ($27.83), and cleaning and laundry ($22.98) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($163.74) and registered nurses ($78.39).
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens provide?
Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens reported 221 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 220 minutes. Registered nurses provided 44 of those minutes, matching the registered-nurse target of 44.
Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens met both its total and registered-nurse targets in two of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 204 to 221 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 169 minutes per resident per day, followed by registered nurses (44 minutes) and enrolled nurses (7 minutes). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Riddell Gardens also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
