'I'm a duck out of water.' The words that sprang from Mum's lips sent shivers through me as I sat with her in the lounge of her new care home. Little did I know that she would feel this way for years to come. Our perception of care homes is often restricted to a few extremes: a peaceful haven administered by caring angels, the boredom of 'God's waiting room', or the horrors uncovered by TV documentaries. The truth is that care home life works well for some, but for others the experience can be nothing short of traumatic. This book is my account of Mum's dementia and our experience of the complexities of the care system. As you read it you will encounter a heart-warming, but often heartbreaking, story of how we navigated care home life together.