Residents at Lyes Grove sheltered housing in Dilton Marsh fear they are being ‘left to rot’ over the lack of care they are receiving.

The sheltered housing, which includes a mix of 19 flats and bungalows, is run by Selwood Housing, which used to have its own live-in wardens to care for residents.

However, since Wiltshire Council awarded Somerset Care the Help to Live at Home contract for west Wiltshire in September 2011, residents say the support has become inadequate.

They claim that since June they have been reduced to one visit a week under new council guidelines, with the warden often not staying for the full day, and carers are not carrying out assessments on residents recently discharged from hospital.

Resident Julie Rice-Harvey, 73, said: “Since it changed, it’s all gone belly up. It’s got to the stage where something bad is going to happen.

"We have not got a problem with Selwood, but they should not call this sheltered housing the way it is at the moment.

“It’s ridiculous and we’ve got to the stage where we are doing the job that Somerset Care is supposed to be doing. It’s like we are being dumped in these places and being left to rot.

“One of the residents, Mike, had a major stroke in August and was in hospital for three weeks before coming back, but since then he has not had any reassessment.”

Some residents pay for the care privately, but the majority receive help from Wiltshire Council towards the cost of the care.

Under the terms of the contract, Somerset Care is supposed to look after people in sheltered housing and to give rehabilitative care to people discharged from hospital.

Irene Balchin, whose mother Edna Thomas, 91, lives at Lyes Grove, said: “Everyone in this building should have a visit from a care person. Somerset Care said the care would not change, but it has changed dramatically.”

Somerset Care looks after 28 homes in west Wiltshire, and a spokeswoman said: “Somerset Care is commissioned by Wiltshire Council to provide services to residents at Lyes Grove that help them to maintain their independence at home.

“This service is not the same as a sheltered scheme model.

“Support services are provided on a needs-led basis, where residents can opt in or out of receiving these services as their needs change.

"At Lyes Grove, all service users who have requested support, or who have been identified as needing support are receiving it.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “We’re sorry to hear about this and we would always encourage residents to let us know if they have any concerns, but we will go and talk to them to see if we can work together to resolve any issues.”