Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Smithfield is 4.19 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
Care and registered-nurse targets met in four reported quarters
The latest quarter records 242 minutes against a 221-minute daily care target; RN time is 55 against 44.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
5 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
80% positive in 2025, compared with 42% in 2024: 38 percentage points higher.
Worth a closer look
Following up concerns is below the survey average
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 85.2% 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.
Respectful treatment is below the survey average
80% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 95.9% 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 | 89.49% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.60% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.25% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.21% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.97% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.20% | 1354 |
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Smithfield provide?
Bolton Clarke Smithfield reported 242 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 21 minutes above its target of 221 minutes. Of those minutes, 55 came from registered nurses, 11 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
In each of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Smithfield met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 227 to 242.
Who provides that care?
Of the 242 minutes, personal care workers provided 186 (76.9%), followed by registered nurses (55 minutes, 22.7%) and enrolled nurses (1 minute, 0.4%). Bolton Clarke Smithfield also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Smithfield?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Smithfield for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things, 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 85.2% average across other homes by 18.2 percentage points. When residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect (80% against 95.9%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (73% against 88.6%), answers were also below the average for other homes.
At Bolton Clarke Smithfield, answers were at least 3 percentage points below the average for other homes on 9 of the 10 questions other than food, and within 3 percentage points on the rest.
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, 47% answered “always”, 20% “most of the time” and 33% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Smithfield were asked whether they feel safe, 60% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 53% answered “always” and 33% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Smithfield?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Smithfield for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 80% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 9.7 percentage points above the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share rose from 42% in 2024. Another 13% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Smithfield spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.13 per resident per day, 54% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bolton Clarke Smithfield reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 45% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
80% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bolton Clarke Smithfield spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Smithfield spent $436.63 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 60.7% of it. Care and nursing spending of $265.20 was in line with 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 accommodation and maintenance ($80.56), administration ($37.13), and cleaning and laundry ($23.47) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($163.32) and registered nurses ($69.76).
