It was the week before my mother died and, as I entered the main room of the nursing home, the residents were all slumped in chairs pushed up against the walls, a depressing example of how the elderly and infirm are treated in the UK. I stayed with my mother for around an hour, telling her the latest news and asking her how lunch was, none of which resulted in any recognition at all on her part. It never did. As I moved to leave, I pushed the chair I was using back into its place against the wall and crouched down to say goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow," I said. Then the most incredible thing happened. My mother suddenly smiled (something she hadn't done for two-and-a-half years), leaned forwards and said, "I love you."