Do You Worry About Dementia In Your Parents? UK Only Please.

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A couple of hours ago I watched a programme about a chap that would like to change how we think and react to dementia in the elderly, and, more specifically, the homes they generally end up in here in the UK. From what I have seen so far I am frightened for my parents (they live 100 miles away from me) as the options open for them are limited. They don't have dementia, in fact Mum is still working and she is 63 but Dad is 9 years older and his memory isn't great. I really think that the UK should do something about caring for the elderly. It is fine if you are "all there" in the mind and have lots of cash but if you haven't, what happens then? I find it upsetting to see so many older people languishing in chairs. My Uncle Joe has mental health problems but he lives in a private home. He is the youngest (not a pensioner) and is encouraged to stay in his room to watch television. The others also watch telly but in one, bigger room. My cousin has tried changing things as she has experience of Social Services and their rules but has got nowhere. When Mum rang the home up and said there was no wash basin to wash their hands in after going to the toilet (there's a sign which says "Now Wash Your Hands" on the wall) the guy on the other end said, "It's in the bathroom next door!" Think about that one for a minute! Germs already on door handles before getting to this basin. Very silly and Mum is going to complain even more about this. I would like people from the UK to open up about their parents and tell me what they think of care for the elderly (and the mentally ill come to that) in this country. At the moment, I feel ashamed to be British if I'm honest. :-(