Carol McGiffin
‘S heila Hancock, the veteran actress, has always been a purveyor of pragmatism and common sense in my eyes. Incredibly, at 85, she’s still working in the West End, doing eight shows a week. But she’s talked about her plan for when she can’t do that any more. She plans to go into a home, which, she says, she’s already chosen, because she doesn’t want to burden her kids with having to care for her.
Of course, she’s been criticised for this by some people, who claim it’s sad, and that it’s the absolute duty of all children to care for their parents in their old age.
I disagree. It shouldn’t be seen as a duty but, if you’re lucky enough to have a large family who have the time, the patience, the money and the space to be able to do so, then great. Most people don’t have that. And it’s not built into our view of the family, like in other cultures. We generally don’t have big families. They are small, disparate and often the burden of care will weigh heavily on the child who steps up or who lives nearest.
I believe in personal responsibility. We should all look out for ourselves and make preparations as far as possible, and they should start young. But it won’t happen, because this latest generation is being brought up as total snowflakes, and personal responsibility isn’t high on their agenda. They just don’t make ’em like Sheila any more.’