Care Homes in Melksham
Melksham has 7 CQC registered care homes. 6 are rated Good, 1 Requires improvement. 5 of the 7 were last inspected more than three years ago.
Source: Care Quality Commission register, kept up to date as ratings change.
Melksham at a glance
What the local numbers say about care for older people in Melksham, to help you judge the options below.
- Wiltshire Council pays, residential care: £1,051 a week. Self-funders are typically asked £1,381 to £1,625, median £1,479
- Care home beds filled across Wiltshire: 88%. The 12 month average is 86%.
- Care home beds per 1,000 people aged 75+: 68
- People aged 75 and over: 65,200. Rising to 79,600 by 2035, up 22%
- Care homes, last 12 months: 0 opened, 3 closed. 16 changed owner, covering 982 beds.
- Who pays, across Wiltshire (estimate): 39% council, 50% self. The rest is NHS funded or other.
- Living with dementia, aged 65 and over (estimate): 8,500. Rising to 11,200 by 2035, up 32%
- People aged 85 and over: 17,700. Rising to 28,000 by 2035, up 58%
Powered by Orrery Intelligence. Market model built 22 October 2026 (ONS 2022 based population projections, CQC register), published care home prices, council planning records.
Choosing between the care homes in Melksham and what to look for
The visit is where decisions actually get made, whatever the reports say beforehand. Reading is how you decide which homes deserve an hour of your time; walking in is how you decide which one somebody could live in. Six homes is a number a family can realistically get round, and doing so puts you in a far stronger position than picking two names and hoping.
What the inspection record shows
Five of the homes serving Melksham are rated Good, among them Peel House, OSJCT Brookside, Alpine Villa Care Home and The Paddocks, while one sits at Requires Improvement. Open each report and read the sections individually rather than resting on the overall judgement, because a home can be rated Good while being noticeably stronger on care than on leadership, or the reverse. Note how recently each inspection took place. Where a home holds the lower rating, ask the manager directly what has changed since the inspectors left and who is overseeing it.
What to look for when you visit
Go at a busy hour rather than a quiet one, and notice whether residents are occupied or simply sitting. Ask how many carers are on duty overnight, how long the registered manager has been in post, and how many permanent staff have left over the past year. Look at the food, the laundry arrangements and whether people can get outside without having to ask twice. Watch how staff speak to the people already living there, because that reveals more than any brochure.
Arranging care and sorting out the funding
Fees cannot be settled sensibly until the level of need is written down and the household finances have been looked at. Both steps are free.
Requesting a care needs assessment
You can ask for an assessment on your own behalf or for a relative who consents, and the right to one does not depend on income or savings. The assessor looks at washing, dressing, eating, medication, mobility, continence and how safe the current arrangement really is, then produces a written support plan. Ask for a copy, because every home will want to see it. If a hospital discharge is setting the timetable, say so, as assessments can be brought forward.
Who pays, and how much
Assessments and funded placements in Melksham are handled by Wiltshire Council Adult Social Care, which carries out a financial assessment alongside the needs assessment to establish the household contribution. Income, savings and usually the value of a property are all taken into account, and anyone with capital above the upper threshold pays privately at the outset. Where the council does fund a placement it pays up to a set rate, and a home charging more may look for a contribution from a third party. Weekly fees differ by home and by room, so ask for a written schedule showing what the charge covers and when it was last reviewed.
7 care homes in Melksham
- Peel House · Melksham, Wiltshire · CQC Good
- Ordinary Life Project Association - 5 St Margaret's Gardens · Melksham, Wiltshire · CQC Requires improvement
- OSJCT Brookside · Melksham, Wiltshire · CQC Good
- Alpine Villa Care Home · Melksham, Wiltshire · CQC Good
- The Paddocks · Melksham, Wiltshire · CQC Good
- ABLE (Action for a Better Life) - 57 King Street · Melksham, Wiltshire · CQC Good
- 5 St Margaret's Gardens · Melksham, Wiltshire · CQC Good
What care costs in Wiltshire, per week
| Type of care | What the council pays | What self-funders are typically asked |
|---|---|---|
| Residential care Middle half of prices from 12 Wiltshire homes. Median £1,479. | £1,051 | £1,381 to £1,625 |
| Nursing care South West figure, because too few Wiltshire homes publish this price. 16 homes. Median £1,810. | £1,030 | £1,599 to £1,983 |
| Residential dementia care South West figure, because too few Wiltshire homes publish this price. 19 homes. Median £1,665. | Not published separately | £1,450 to £1,813 |
| Nursing dementia care England figure, because too few Wiltshire homes publish this price. 75 homes. Median £2,050. | Not published separately | £1,890 to £2,221 |
Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price. Powered by Orrery Intelligence.
Inspected most recently
- The Paddocks, 4 March 2025, Good
- Ordinary Life Project Association - 5 St Margaret's Gardens, 2 August 2024, Requires improvement
- ABLE (Action for a Better Life) - 57 King Street, 14 April 2023, Good
Longest since a report
- 5 St Margaret's Gardens, 15 March 2018, Good
- Peel House, 16 June 2018, Good
- OSJCT Brookside, 15 October 2019, Good
Frequently asked questions about care homes in Melksham
How many care homes are there in Melksham?
Melksham has 7 CQC registered care homes: 6 Good, 1 Requires improvement. Counts come from the CQC register and are kept up to date as ratings change.
How much does a care home cost in Melksham?
Wiltshire Council pays an average of £1,051 a week for residential care. Self-funders are typically asked £1,381 to £1,625 a week. Middle half of prices from 12 Wiltshire homes. Median £1,479. Published prices are often starting prices, and come from homes that publish fees, so treat them as a guide. Ask the home for its own price.
Which care homes in Melksham were inspected most recently?
The Paddocks (4 March 2025), Ordinary Life Project Association - 5 St Margaret's Gardens (2 August 2024) and ABLE (Action for a Better Life) - 57 King Street (14 April 2023) have the most recent CQC reports.