It’s almost a year since I started getting help with my personal care every morning. Ana’s been my most regular carer since then and I’ve written before about how firmly established our routine has become.

In fact it’s become so deep-rooted it sometimes feels like we’ve become one person – and it’s clearly not just me that feels this way. Several times over the last few weeks Ana’s exclaimed in surprise on realising that she’d closed her own eyes while she’d been washing my face.

Every time this happens it makes us both laugh. Ana’s patience, care and good humour over the last year have turned something that could’ve been upsetting and awkward feel into something completely natural. Where there’s soap there’s hope.