The Channel 4 News anchorman faced the problem when his mother, now 87, developed the disease and he and his brothers had to find somewhere suitable for her to be looked after.

Mr Snow will reveal his personal anguish at a London conference organised by Counsel and Care, a charity which campaigns to raise awareness of the problems faced by the elderly.

He will say: "I want to talk about the guilt at not being able to take in and cope with a relative oneself, and the terrible and traumatic search for a home that meets his or her needs."

Mr Snow's mother went into a home in Oxfordshire six years ago, after three unsatisfactory episodes in care.

"It was her neighbours, both much older than my mother, who bore the brunt of what was happening to her," Mr Snow will say.

Desperate to stay

"At first they were desperate to help her stay where she wanted, in her own home.

"Finally, after a succession of chaotic adventures, we decided she would have to move."

Oblivious to her true condition, he and his family set out to find homes in beautiful surroundings for her. They were hampered by a lack of information.

He will tell the conference: "We came up with two wonderful homes. She was out of the first in a night and out of the second in two.

'Incarcerated in hospital'

"She finished up incarcerated in Poole General Hospital on drugs. The geriatricians said we had to have her out of hospital and housed in a fortnight."

Eventually, he found a place for her in a small house in Oxfordshire, which is widely regarded as one of the few specialist units in the country, and she is still there.

Jeff Smith, general manager of Counsel and Care, said: "A lot of older people do have problems in finding suitable accommodation in old age, and to have someone as well known and as articulate as Jon Snow talking about his personal problems is obviously very helpful in highlighting the issue."

No question of guilt

However, the Guardian newspaper has reported that Mr Snow's brother Tom is not impressed by the TV star's comments.