Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson is 4.12 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
86% positive in 2025, compared with 60% in 2024: 26 percentage points higher.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Worth a closer look
Fewer residents say staff explain things consistently
65% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
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
72% 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.87% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.33% | 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 | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.20% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff explain things to them, 65% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 81.8% average across other homes by 16.8 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (72% against 85.2%) and whether staff treat them with respect (86% against 95.9%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
The largest gap above other homes was when residents were asked whether they feel safe: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 96.4%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff explain changes to care. When residents were asked whether staff explain things to them, 29% answered “always”, 36% “most of the time” and 36% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson were asked whether they get the care they need, 36% answered “always” and 50% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 86% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 15.8 percentage points above the average of 70.2% across other homes. The share rose from 60% in 2024. Another 7% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
Food spending at Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson in January to March 2026 was $16 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.56 per resident per day, 100% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 41% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
86% 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 Ross Robertson provide?
Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson reported 221 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes above its target of 217 minutes. Of those minutes, 45 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 43.
Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson met both its total and registered-nurse targets in three of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 205 to 229.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 157 minutes, followed by registered nurses (45 minutes) and enrolled nurses (20 minutes). Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Ross Robertson spent $454.71 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 63.8% of it. Care and nursing spending of $290.25 was 10% 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 accommodation and maintenance ($71.22), administration ($41.26), and cleaning and laundry ($22.75) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($159.26) and registered nurses ($73.72).
