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Good Morning Does a care home pass the smell test? That rather challenging question was aired several times on this programme yesterday as the debate about caring for the elderly stepped up a gear. Or rather, it was suggested, does this home pass the mum test? Would you be happy to bring your own mum here to live out her later years, in the knowledge that what the Chief Inspector of Social Care describes as "safe, high quality and compassionate care that people deserve" was on offer? In a week when a University College, London study also predicted that around 1.2m people in Britain will be suffering from dementia within two decades, we all know full well that it's the provision of both general and specialised social care that remains a huge challenge. One that has far reaching implications for us all. I’ve visited many care homes to lead services and activities for the elderly and I would want to pay enormous tribute to the vast majority of over-stretched care home staff whom I have met along the way. In East London, I’ll never forget the young Polish care assistant who not only knew every resident by name, but also their full life stories - what made these wonderful residents tick. He had obviously spent hours listening to them and being with them and their love and respect for him was mirrored in the eyes of those he cared for. The theologian Henri Nouwen, in his book, With Burning Hearts, defines a Christian theology of community as a "body of love" where everyone, young and old, are shaped by an intrinsic belief that "hope is real". In other words, our future well-being and flourishing is rooted in mutual support and a genuine care for the other. And, I'm sure you know what I mean, often, when you go to a place where people are gathered together [a school or office for instance]- you can kind of discern or, yes, smell hope and positivity - as opposed to despair and despondency. There is no doubt that more people are living longer and we can’t pretend that providing good care for the elderly and infirm isn’t demanding work. All of the statistics show that providing appropriate dignity and respect for the most elderly in our society is not going to get any easier. Clare of Assisi is reported to have said, at the end of her life, “thank you for allowing me to be a human being.” Isn’t that the basic challenge posed to every one of us by all those in need of care – that we embrace hope and offer each of them happiness through our shared humanity?