Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor is 3.49 out of 5, against 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 224 minutes against a 220-minute daily care target; RN time is 49 against 44.
Food enjoyment improved in the latest survey
46% positive in 2026, compared with 31% in 2025: 15 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
Residents’ experience rating trails the national average
2 out of 5, compared with 3.62 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
46% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.4% across other homes.
Confidence in staff skills is below the survey average
70% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.1% 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 | 95.37% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.10% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.11% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.17% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.26% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.36% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.22% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff know what they are doing, 70% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 89.1% average across other homes by 19.1 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether the home is well run (69% against 88.1%) and whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves (69% against 87.2%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 92.7%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about the training staff receive. Of residents asked whether staff know what they are doing, 8% answered “always”, 62% “most of the time” and 31% “some of the time”; none answered “never”.
Do residents feel safe and get the care they need?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor were asked whether they feel safe, 46% answered “always” and 46% “most of the time”. When asked whether they get the care they need, 15% answered “always” and 77% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 46% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 21.4 percentage points below the average of 67.4% across other homes. The share rose from 31% in 2025. Another 31% answered “some of the time” and 23% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor spent $18 per resident per day on food, 13% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.15 per resident per day, 46% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor, 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”.
46% 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 Templestowe Manor provide?
Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor reported 224 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 4 minutes above its target of 220 minutes. Of those minutes, 49 came from registered nurses, 5 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 44.
Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor met both its total and registered-nurse targets in each of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 220 to 235 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Personal care workers provided 174 of the 224 minutes (77.7%), followed by registered nurses (49 minutes, 21.9%) and enrolled nurses (1 minute, 0.4%). Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers in the same quarter.
How does Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Templestowe Manor spent $441.80 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 62.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $276.35 was 4% 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 accommodation and maintenance ($47.45), administration ($45.17), and cleaning and laundry ($29.53) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($165.06) and registered nurses ($64.14).
