A CATALOGUE of failures at a nursing home which was closed over health and safety concerns have been revealed in a damning report.

Elderly and vulnerable residents at Ladymead Nursing Home, in Westwood Road, Heaton, were moved to other accommodation last month after an unannounced inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The report, published by the CQC, has described the shocking conditions 27 vulnerable residents were subjected to.

It revealed the home’s Public Liability Insurance had expired a month earlier, that its Landlord’s Gas Certificate was out-of-date by four years and its manager, who had been in post for 11 months, had not registered with the CQC.

Inspectors found thin bedding, curtains hanging off the rails, fraying carpets, water damage to ceilings following a “flood” and a mattress “heavily stained with brown marks”.

They discovered one woman had not had her hair washed for four months, and residents were forced to sit in their coats to keep warm due to faulty heating and rotten window frames. A number of residents were left in their rooms because the home did not have the equipment needed to bring them down to the lounge and four residents were left in their beds, despite only two needing bed care.

One resident was found to have a grade four pressure sore and there was no evidence in their notes that there was a plan in place for turning and another resident, who needed weekly weighing, had not been weighed and had lost four kilograms (abouit eight and a half pounds).

Two residents sharing one room were forced to live out of suitcases as they did not have wardrobes and in many of the bedrooms, which had problems with “poor” odour control, residents had to use commodes as seats.

Bedrooms also contained faulty electrical items and broken equipment and bathrooms were cluttered with zimmer frames, mops and ladders.

A fire officer highlighted a number of safety concerns, including an “inadequate” fire detection system, poor training and an “inadequately maintained” electrical system.

The maintenance cellar, containing the electric circuit box, was damp, and had water seeping in from outside.

Action was also needed for the management of medicines, which was criticised for being overstocked, unlocked and left near a radiator, and for the home’s records, which were on paper belonging to another company and incomplete.

The home, run by Icon Healthcare (UK) Ltd, will remain closed until improvements have been made to meet health and safety standards.

A report detailing the improvements and action that would be taken was due to be sent to the CQC by today.

A CQC spokesperson said: “The provider has made progress with the improvements required to the building and at present this work remains ongoing. We continue to work closely with Bolton Council and NHS Bolton to ensure all areas of concern are addressed before any decision is made to move residents back in.”

The Bolton News was unable to contact the owners for comment