Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Walkerville is 3.3 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
Residents consistently describe respectful, caring staff
100% positive on respect and 100% on caring staff, versus 95.9% and 96.0% across other homes.
How well the home is run is above the survey average
93% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 89.3% across other homes.
More residents consistently feel safe
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 96.4% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
50% positive in 2025, compared with 74% in 2024: 24 percentage points lower.
Support for independence is below the survey average
68% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.6% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
50% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 70.3% 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: 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 | 3.07 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.48% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.48% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.61% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.82% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.28% | 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 Walkerville?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 68% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Walkerville answered “always” or “most of the time”, below the 88.6% average across other homes by 20.6 percentage points. Answers were also below the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff follow up when they raise things (78% against 85.2%) and whether they get the care they need (89% against 94.5%).
The widest gap above other homes came when residents were asked whether staff treat them with respect: 100% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 95.9%. In all, answers on 4 of the 10 questions other than food were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes.
What should you ask about on a visit?
On a visit, you can ask about how staff support residents to do things for themselves. When residents were asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves, 36% answered “always”, 32% “most of the time”, 29% “some of the time” and 4% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Walkerville were asked whether they feel safe, 82% answered “always” and 18% “most of the time”.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Walkerville?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Walkerville for the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey were asked whether they like the food, 50% answered “always” or “most of the time”, 20.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 74% in 2024. Another 50% answered “some of the time”, and none answered “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Walkerville spent $17 per resident per day on food, 6% above the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.32 per resident per day, 14% above the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bolton Clarke Walkerville reports that breakfast, lunch and dinner are all prepared by the cook-chill method. Of all meals, 44% are prepared on site and the rest off site.
Do residents enjoy the food?
Residents who answered “Always” or “Most of the time”.
50% 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 Walkerville provide?
Bolton Clarke Walkerville reported 233 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 10 minutes above its target of 223 minutes. Of those minutes, 47 came from registered nurses, 2 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 45.
In three of the last four quarters, Bolton Clarke Walkerville met both its total and registered-nurse targets. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 221 to 239.
Who provides that care?
Of the 233 minutes, personal care workers provided 185 (79.4%), followed by registered nurses (47 minutes, 20.2%) and enrolled nurses (1 minute, 0.4%). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Walkerville also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
How does Bolton Clarke Walkerville spend on resident care?
Total spending at Bolton Clarke Walkerville in the 2024–25 financial year was $423.69 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 59.2% of it. Care and nursing spending of $250.78 was 5% below 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 ($76.70), administration ($35.15), and cleaning and laundry ($28.24) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($167.38) and registered nurses ($56.48).
