Elderberry Expert Rating and Opinion
The Elderberry Index for Bupa Bonbeach is 3.53 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
Quality measures rating exceeds the national average
4 out of 5, compared with 3.06 across other rated homes in the August 2026 extract.
Staff communication is a relative strength
95% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 81.8% across other homes.
More residents feel they have a say in daily life
100% answered “Always” or “Most of the time”, compared with 93.2% across other homes.
Worth a closer look
Food spending and enjoyment both fall below their benchmarks
$12 a day vs a $16 sector median; 65% enjoy meals vs 70.3% across other homes.
Reported care time falls short of a staffing target
Total care: 223 vs 222 minutes; registered nurses: 36 vs 45 minutes per resident per day.
Food enjoyment fell in the latest survey
65% positive in 2025, compared with 80% in 2024: 15 percentage points lower.
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 | 95.86% | 1354 |
| Feeling safe | 96.45% | 1354 |
| How well the home is run | 89.32% | 1354 |
| Getting needed care | 94.47% | 1354 |
| Confidence in staff skills | 89.47% | 1354 |
| Encouragement to stay independent | 88.59% | 1354 |
| Staff explaining things | 81.80% | 1354 |
| Enjoying the food | 70.26% | 1354 |
| Following up concerns | 85.19% | 1354 |
| Kind and caring staff | 95.96% | 1354 |
| Having a say in daily life | 93.19% | 1354 |
What is the food like at Bupa Bonbeach?
In the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey, 65% of residents surveyed at Bupa Bonbeach said they like the food “always” or “most of the time”, 5.3 percentage points below the average of 70.3% across other homes. The share fell from 80% in 2024. Another 29% answered “some of the time” and 6% “never”.
In January to March 2026, Bupa Bonbeach spent $12 per resident per day on food, 25% below the sector median of $16. In the same quarter, spending on dietitians was $0.24 per resident per day, 14% below the sector median of $0.28.
How are meals prepared?
According to Bupa Bonbeach, 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”.
65% of surveyed residents
Spending & preparation
Daily spending on food and dietitian services, and how meals are prepared.
Sources and Explanation
What do residents say about Bupa Bonbeach?
Asked in the 2025 Residents’ Experience Survey whether staff explain things to them, 95% of residents surveyed at Bupa Bonbeach answered “always” or “most of the time”, 13.2 percentage points above the average of 81.8% across other homes. Answers were also above the average for other homes when residents were asked whether they have a say in their daily activities (100% against 93.2%) and whether they get the care they need (100% against 94.5%).
On 9 of the 10 questions other than food, answers at Bupa Bonbeach were at least 3 percentage points above the average for other homes, and on the rest they were within 3 percentage points.
Do residents feel safe?
Asked whether they feel safe, 82% of residents surveyed at Bupa Bonbeach answered “always” and 18% “most of the time”.
Do residents have a say in daily life?
On choice and independence at Bupa Bonbeach, the share answering “always” or “most of the time” was 94% when asked whether they are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves.
How does Bupa Bonbeach spend on resident care?
In the 2024–25 financial year, Bupa Bonbeach spent $439.98 per resident per day, and care and nursing made up 65.6% of it. Care and nursing spending of $288.73 was 9% above the sector median of $264.85. These figures are the home’s costs, not the fees a resident pays.
Where does the rest of the spending go?
Other categories included administration ($60.41), accommodation and maintenance ($30.73), and cleaning and laundry ($27.65) per resident per day. Within care and nursing, the largest amounts per resident per day went to personal care workers and assistants in nursing ($174.89) and registered nurses ($58.18).
How much care and nursing does Bupa Bonbeach provide?
Bupa Bonbeach reported 223 minutes of care per resident per day in January to March 2026, 1 minute above its target of 222 minutes. Of those minutes, 36 came from registered nurses, 9 minutes below the registered-nurse target of 45.
Bupa Bonbeach met both its total and registered-nurse targets in none of the last four quarters. Across those four quarters, minutes of care per resident per day ranged from 214 to 223.
Who provides that care?
Per resident per day, personal care workers provided 182 minutes, followed by registered nurses (36 minutes) and enrolled nurses (6 minutes). In the same quarter, Bupa Bonbeach also reported spending on physiotherapists, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, and lifestyle and recreation workers.
