Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge is 3.71 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
Residents’ experience rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is above the survey average
73% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% 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
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 228 vs 225 minutes; registered nurses: 41 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Staffing rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Support for independence is below the survey average
67% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 87.2% 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: 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 | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.08% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.08% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.17% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.27% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.33% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.21% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.72% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge for the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 67% answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 87.2% average across other homes by 20.2 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (73% against 92.7%) and whether staff explain things to them (67% against 80.3%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff know what they are doing: 93% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 89.1%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. Of residents asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 67% answered “always”, 20% “some of the time” and 13% “never”; none answered “most of the time”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge were asked whether they feel safe, 93% answered “always”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 87% answered “always” and 7% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 73% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.7 percentage points above the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share rose from 67% in 2025. Another 20% answered “some of the time” and 7% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge spent $22 per resident per day on food, 38% above the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.09 per resident per day, 68% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge, 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”.
73% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
How does Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge spent $184.56 per resident per day on care and nursing, 30% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $321.26 per resident per day. 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 ($39.76), administration ($33.25), and cleaning and laundry ($30.11) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($114.61) and registered nurses ($47.34).
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge provide?
Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge reported 228 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 225 minutes. Of those minutes, 41 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
In none of the last four quarters did Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge meet both its total and registered-nurse targets. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 216 to 230 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Of the 228 minutes, personal care workers provided 185 (81.1%), followed by registered nurses (41 minutes, 18.0%) and enrolled nurses (2 minutes, 0.9%). Bolton Clarke Sunset Ridge also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
