Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Riverwood is 4.45 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 consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.4% and 95.4% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% across other homes.
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
59% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 80.3% 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: 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.35% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.24% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.07% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.14% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.28% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.31% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.41% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Riverwood?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 100% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Riverwood answered “always” or “most of the time” when asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, above the 84.2% average across other homes by 15.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (100% against 87.1%) and whether the home is well run (100% against 88.1%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them: 59% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 80.3%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about how staff explain changes to care. Of residents asked whether staff explain things to them, 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, 92% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Riverwood answered “always” and 8% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 75% answered “always” and 25% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Riverwood?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Riverwood for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 32.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 92% in 2025.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Riverwood spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.07 per resident per day, 75% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bolton Clarke Riverwood 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”.
100% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Riverwood provide?
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Riverwood reported 222 minutes of care per resident per day, 4 minutes above its target of 218 minutes. Of those minutes, 67 came from registered nurses, 23 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In three of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Riverwood met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 214 to 224.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 145 of the 222 minutes (65.3%), followed by registered nurses (67 minutes, 30.2%) and enrolled nurses (10 minutes, 4.5%). Bolton Clarke Riverwood also reported spending on podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Bolton Clarke Riverwood spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Riverwood spent $432.99 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $284.04 was 7% above the sector median of $264.85. 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 cleaning and laundry ($42.09), administration ($39.31), and accommodation and maintenance ($32.97) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($140.39) and registered nurses ($104.27).
