Alison's story

'After a period of tests they decided there was nothing else they could do for my father, Ted. They told me he probably had a couple of months to live.

'Armed with that information, we went home and set up a series of day carers to come in.

'It was alright at first but then he started getting weaker and having difficulty in the night.

'He got to a stage where he was having extreme trouble breathing. Although he had an oxygen cylinder, he found it uncomfortable and wanted to waive it away. But this made his condition worse. It was hard forcing him to keep the mask, while trying to find someone to tell me what I should be doing over the phone.

'One night he was in particular discomfort. I called the local palliative care nursing number to get some advice. They were nice but didn't really give me any help and I felt totally lost. I knew that if I called an ambulance he probably wouldn't be able to have his last few days at home.

'At the hospital after several hours in cubicles, he was transferred to his own room, where he spent his last two days.

'It's not what he wanted. He'd always wanted to live by the sea and at home he could see it. In those last few days that was something he wasn't able to do.'