My sister and I thought we knew best for our 93-year-old mother but we neglected something crucial: her independence
There was always one thing I was sure of – I’d not let Mum go into a care home or be looked after by a stranger. Marje has always been a brilliant mother, forever loyal when others wrote me off. So come the day when she tired of living by herself in Salford, or couldn’t cope, I’d be there for her.
I assumed she would come to live with me – or my sister Sharon – in London. She could stay in our house, or we could build her a granny flat. We’d even allow her to live in a flat nearby so long as we could pop in every day and take care of her.
Simon Hattenstone is a Guardian columnist
