The suffering thousands let down by our health services

As the couple struggled to come to terms with what the future might hold, they also had to grapple with the inevitable practical considerations of what to do as Bill's condition deteriorated. To many of the questions there were no easy answers, but Delia was determined her husband would be cared for at home.

It was a decision which seemed to chime with the Government's End of Life Care strategy which was launched amid much fanfare in 2008. The idea was to provide people with more choice at the end of life about both their care and their treatment. It was, they said, all about dignity.

Yet three years after the launch, many families fear the promises have not yet become a reality, and at the very time they need support, they are left with nowhere to turn.

"Trying to get help with caring for Bill was an absolute nightmare," says Delia, whose husband died last year. "Even after he was left bedridden following a hospital stay, social services refused to provide any support. I was able to get some care privately but this was nowhere near enough and I had no choice but to become a 24-hour carer.

"Bill eventually died at home, which is what he would have wanted, but the end of his life could have been so different had we had the right support. He wouldn't have ended up in hospital, he could have walked for much longer and wouldn't have been stuck in bed. I want to do everything I can now to prevent more people going through what Bill and I were forced to endure."

Delia now gives talks to Alzheimer's Society carer groups, but the experience of the Fox family is, sadly, all too common. A report published this week by the Alzheimer's Society confirmed that many diagnosed with the condition are let down by health services.

According to the Support. Stay. Save. Care report, 50,000 sufferers are forced into care homes early and tens of thousands more are admitted to hospital unnecessarily. Perhaps even more worryingly, care workers cited cases of residents being left bedridden and malnourished.

The campaign to improve Alzheimer's care has attracted a number of high-profile supporters. Former GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips, whose parents both suffered from the condition, has talked honestly about her own battle to secure them the best care in their final days, and now Kevin Whately has been appointed an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society. He watched his fiercely independent mother live with dementia for eight years until her death, in 2009, and while he has nothing but praise from the health professionals who helped her and the family cope, he knows there are many others who aren't so fortunate.

"Mum was lucky. She had excellent support from health specialists and a family more than happy to help," he said in a foreword to the recent report. "However, there are hundreds of thousands of people receiving insufficient support. Many are having their health put at risk and being forced into hospital and care homes against their will. It's not just a personal tragedy, but it represents a huge financial burden that society cannot afford."

Certainly the figures don't seem to add up. For each avoidable month those suffering from dementia spend in care, the State faces a bill of at least 70m. With the population getting increasingly older, the financial strain on the NHS and other support services will intensify.

"It's an absolute travesty that so many people with dementia are being forced to struggle without the care and support they need," says Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society.

"The consequences of this represent an unacceptable human and financial cost. Half-a-million people with dementia live in the community and many will need help with everyday tasks. This help not only maintains dignity, but prevents serious health issues. While staying at home is not right for everyone, we know many people who want to remain in the familiar surroundings with family or loved ones.

"In the current environment of spending cuts, the situation is set to get much worse. Health commissioners need to think long-term and invest in dementia services and training to keep more people out of hospitals and care homes and save the NHS and councils from bankruptcy."