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Following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), a care home in the Greater Manchester town of Bolton has been temporarily closed until it can make improvements to the quality of care it offers to residents.

CQC inspectors arriving unannounced at the Ladymead Nursing Home found a number of very worrying problems, including:

• Residents with level four bedsores, the most severe type of ulcer and one that can cause life-threatening infections
• Poor odour control in bedrooms
• One resident who had not had her hair washed for months
• Residents living out of suitcases because they had not been provided with a wardrobe for their clothes
• Residents wearing coats inside dilapidated buildings just to keep warm
• Unexplained dramatic weight loss amongst some residents
• No activities or stimulation organised for residents

In addition to these problems, the building and its interiors were also found to be in a state of disrepair. Fire and electrics were found to be inadequate, carpets were fraying, ceilings were water damaged and bedrooms were full of broken and faulty electrical items and equipment. In addition, medicine cabinets were overstocked and were left unlocked.

The home has now been closed by the CQC until Icon Healthcare, which owns Ladymead, can bring care training, cleanliness and health and safety standards up to the required level.