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Very old people are more likely to die comfortably if they die in a care home or at home, compared with dying in a hospital, suggests a new study from the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge. Yet while the overwhelming majority of very old people reported symptoms at the end of life such as distress, pain and depression, the study found that these were not always treated effectively.

On November 1 Melvyn Bragg will talk about his book Grace and Mary at the Festival of Ideas.  ̽»¨Ö±²¥novel is based on Bragg’s own bitter-sweet experience of his mother’s dementia. Looking back across three generations, it raises fundamental questions about social attitudes and how they shape our lives. Three people discuss some of the big challenges that face us.