Michael’s charismatic and highly successful wife Maggie showed the first signs of dementia in her mid-fifties. His experience of caring for her is quite exceptional: he lived with her in a care home for nine years, overseeing every aspect of her care and medical treatment. Michael chose to do this as an act of love, not wanting to be separated from his wife nor to leave her alone. But the result was that a highly experienced business consultant lived inside the care system for nine years, observing, guiding and negotiating care and medical treatment on Maggie’s behalf, and is now able to share that story. In the experience of care professionals, this is unique. The lessons he learnt are so important that he has been urged by senior figures in the care sector to share his experience for the benefit of others and to promote much needed changes in the current care system.
