Annie is 88 years old and cared for by her daughter, Dorothy, aged 66. They live in a thirdfloor flat, which Annie bought from the council. Annie is losing her sight and suffers from arthritis. She is on a waiting list for a hip replacement. She cannot use the stairs and the lift at the flats is often out of order. She does not want to go out much in any case, as she is anxious about falling. She has recently become incontinent and needs attention at night. They have no washing machine and the laundry is a bus ride away. Dorothy is finding caring for her mother very stressful and feels unable to leave her for more than a short time. She has not been able to do any of the things she had planned on retirement. She contacted social services and explained their situation. Three months later, a social worker visited. She spent approximately half an hour at the flat. She offered Annie a place at a day centre for elderly people, four miles away, one day a week but said she could not help with transport to get her there. She said that at the moment she could not offer any help such as meals on wheels or home help but she would come back in six months’ time, at the start of the next financial year. In response to Dorothy’s concerns that she was finding it hard to care for her mother, the social worker said Annie could move to a residential home but that the flat would have to be sold to pay for it. What are the legal and practice issues raised in this scenario?