I have been known to go to the press but usually as a last resort. The problem with complaining to the press is that you cannot control what they say and how they edit. In the BBC's case they will almost certainly have to provide balance and the "other side" may give a totally different view.

With my own mother, who sadly died in 2003 the clue to getting things done (IMHO) was establishing her right to Attendance Allowance.

All sorts of entitlement follow from that and a (local council) OT soon got her all the aids she needed starting with a wheelchair. It was soon easy to get a disabled badge for my car which enabled us to take her out a lot more. She had a bath lift and so on.

And she could afford all sorts of things that she was always worried about before and which saved me a lot of trouble, in particular the garden. By doing this she was able to live on her own right until she died.

I worked through a welfare rights officer.