Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bolton Clarke Westhaven is 4.3 out of 5, compared with a national average of 3.81. Three findings stand out as positive, and two are worth a closer look.
Things we noticed
Positive standouts
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staffing rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.18 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Following up concerns is above the survey average
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 84.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
How well the home is run is below the survey average
81% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 88.1% across other homes.
Enjoying the food is below the survey average
63% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 67.3% 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: 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 | 3.06 | 2456 |
| Respectful treatment | 95.36% | 1080 |
| Feeling safe | 96.25% | 1080 |
| How well the home is run | 88.09% | 1080 |
| Getting needed care | 94.42% | 1080 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.09% | 1080 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 87.15% | 1079 |
| Staff explaining things | 80.25% | 1078 |
| Enjoying the food | 67.34% | 1080 |
| Following up concerns | 84.20% | 1079 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.42% | 1080 |
| Having a say in daily life | 92.70% | 1080 |
How does Bolton Clarke Westhaven spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bolton Clarke Westhaven spent $215.75 per resident per day on care and nursing, 19% below the sector median of $264.85. Spending across all categories was $355.93 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 ($44.37), administration ($35.48), and cleaning and laundry ($27.70) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($133.09) and registered nurses ($54.47).
What do residents say about Bolton Clarke Westhaven?
Asked in the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff follow up when they raise things, 100% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Westhaven answered “always” or “most of the time”, above the 84.2% average across other homes by 15.8 percentage points. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether staff explain things to them (88% against 80.2%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.4%).
The largest gap below other homes was when residents were asked whether the home is well run: 81% answered “always” or “most of the time”, against an average of 88.1%.
What should you ask about on a visit?
A visit is a chance to ask about who runs the home day to day and how changes are communicated. When residents were asked whether the home is well run, 31% answered “always”, 50% “most of the time”, 13% “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
Do residents feel safe?
When residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Westhaven were asked whether they feel safe, 81% answered “always” and 13% “most of the time”.
How much care and nursing does Bolton Clarke Westhaven provide?
Bolton Clarke Westhaven reported 210 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 3 minutes above its target of 207 minutes. Of those minutes, 46 came from registered nurses, 4 minutes above the registered-nurse target of 42.
Bolton Clarke Westhaven met both its total and registered-nurse targets in one of the last four quarters. Minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 200 to 210 across those four quarters.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 160 minutes, followed by registered nurses (46 minutes) and enrolled nurses (3 minutes). In the same quarter, Bolton Clarke Westhaven also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
What is the food like at Bolton Clarke Westhaven?
In the 2026 Residents’ Experience Survey, 63% of residents surveyed at Bolton Clarke Westhaven said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 4.3 percentage points below the average of 67.3% across other homes. The share fell from 69% in 2025. Another 25% answered “some of the time” and 13% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bolton Clarke Westhaven spent $15 per resident per day on food, 6% below the sector median of $16. Spending on dietitians in the same quarter was $0.28 per resident per day, in line with the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
Bolton Clarke Westhaven reports that breakfast is cooked fresh, while lunch and dinner are 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”.
63% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
