My mother and my father

My mother and my father are not well. My mother has Alzheimer's and is now in a Care Home and may starve herself to death - she sometimes eats and drinks and sometimes she doesn't. She just lies with her face to the wall. This is so awful for everyone concerned. The doctor says we won't force her to eat, or put a tube down her throat, just persuade her. He has seen these cases before.

My father is in Scotland. He is dying from the toes upwards - has 3 dead toes and ulcerated legs. I won't go into it but he is likely to die of heart failure. But he is sitting up reading the Times and he is in his right mind.

I have not seen my father for 5 years and I think I should like to take my offspring and go and see him.