FAMILIES of residents at a troubled Nottingham nursing home have come forward with stories of how their loved ones were treated.
Their testimony comes after the Post revealed earlier this month that Landmere Nursing Home would close, police were investigating the alleged mistreatment of patients and its owners admitted using "outdated care practices".
The home failed in a recent inspection carried out by Government watchdog the Care Quality Commission, and subsequently Notts County Council has cancelled its contract with the home and rehoused more than 20 residents.
Widow Maureen Pycroft of Ruddington Lane, Wilford, says she feels let down by the care her husband David Barry Pycroft received during a four-year stay in the home, when it was owned by Life Style.
Mr Pycroft, known as Barry, died at 66 after suffering severe Alzheimer's Disease. He was admitted to the home in 2003.
Like other families with a relative suffering from the disease, Maureen thought initially that her husband would receive good care as Landmere marketed itself as a home that specialises in dementia.
But she soon changed her mind.
During her husband's time in Landmere, Maureen and her family made more than seven formal complaints against the home, and she documented in personal diaries a day-by-day account of what happened to Barry.
The care home admitted in letters to Maureen that a member of staff failed to clean her husband's room, and dressed him in old clothes.
Acting on the information in her complaints the nursing home was inspected on October 14, 2004, by the now-defunct Commission for Social Care Inspection and found to be lacking in certain areas such as:
A resident who was only supposed to eat blended food was given sandwiches.
A shower used for cleaning residents was broken for four months.
Dirty pans were used to serve food.
She said: "Yes I feel let down, about what went off at the home.
"Some of the carers were very good, but there was often not enough staff.
"I remember once going to visit Barry and he was sitting and his trousers were wet. The food was atrocious and there were always awful smells in the home which made you retch."
A spokesman for Life Style said: "We are unable to comment on individual cases due to confidentiality and data protection; however, Life Style Care take all feedback and complaints very seriously. All issues are fully investigated and dealt with in line with our policies and procedures.
"Life Style Care acquired Landmere Nursing Home in November 2011. Outdated care practices have resulted in poor occupancy and high use of agency staff.
"The resulting high operating costs have made the business financially unsustainable thus necessitating the closure of the home.
"Landmere management has shared its decision with Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council and the Care Quality Commission. These agencies are aware of the planned closure of the home."
Caroline Baria, service director for joint commissioning, quality and business change at the county council, said: "We terminated our contract with Landmere Care Home in Wilford on May 9, 2013, following careful consideration with the Care Quality Commission and the local NHS.
"We had suspended the contract with the home in March due to a number of concerns regarding the care, treatment and support of residents at the home. We had been working with the CQC, the NHS and the managers of the home to try and improve outcomes for residents.
"We were not satisfied that the necessary improvements had been made, so were left with no option other than to terminate our contract. We have been working with the residents and relatives to facilitate them to move to suitable alternative accommodation."