There have been many interpretations of what is arguably Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, all enacted to varying degrees of success. New angles have often been sought to give the play a modern interpretation, greater appeal and to highlight contemporary social issues. Juliet and her Romeo is the latest attempt by Tom Morris, Artistic Director of Bristol’s Old Vic. His radically reconfigured play no longer features youthful romance, but instead the star-crossed lovers are a pair of senior citizens and the story has become a study of love in old age.
Siân Phillips and Michael Byrne take on the leading roles in a play that is remarkably close to the original Shakespeare text. The action has been relocated to Verona plc, a modern-day care home, and a few lines in the prologue have been changed to explain this. Apart from that and a few role reversals with anxious children rather than parents seeking to prevent an imprudent and costly match, the script remains unchanged, highlighting the fact that love stories can occur at any age.
The two quarrelling households have been replaced with the Montague and Capulet wards in the old folks’ home. The ancient grudge lays in the fact that those in the Montague wing have been forced to sell their homes and use their life savings to pay for a bed in a communal NHS ward, whilst those who have the fortune to reside in the Capulet wing benefit from private care and individual rooms.
Morris’ play, which he had been developing in collaboration with Sean O’Conner since 1997, comes at a very poignant time. Our ageing population has placed society at a cross roads and raises the question of how we will be able to fund the long-term care for the elderly. As the publicity for the play rightly says: “What family has not wrestled with the question of how we care for our parents as they become older and frailer? Who will love them? Who will support them? Who will pay for their care? And with that care, what controls should we apply? If we have taken power of attorney, what about the freedom to fall in love, to give gifts, to marry unwisely?”
These are all very real issues raised by Morris’ clever adaptation and ones that have garnered much media attention in recent months as the Labour government has grappled with the best approach to fund the care of the elderly and has had to re-evaluate their proposals for a National Care Service modelled on the NHS.
For those older people who find themselves in the situation where they are faced with some of these tough decisions however, help is at hand and they need not feel alone. Age Concern Bristol (ACB) has introduced a Care Advocacy Service for older people within the Bristol area and Marius Jennings is the Advocacy Worker.
In his role, Marius meets with service users, providing information on the different issues that need to be addressed; whether that be the decision to remain in their own home or to move into care, along with the financial and administrative implications that these decisions entail. He also liaises with the local authority services, the care home, NHS practitioners, social services and other relevant agencies to make sure that those individuals get the best care possible.
“What advocacy is all about is allowing someone who has to make some sort of decision or change in their life the opportunity to take the lead.’ Marius says. ‘It’s about making sure that they have a voice. It is a project where they get to decide how they want to go forward. It deals with people who are 55 and over and who may need to go into care.”
The service is funded by Comic relief and is very user-focused. One of the main purposes of the service is to ensure that the transition into care is as smooth as possible not only for those moving into care or residential homes, but also for relatives and friends of people affected by care issues. However, the service is also open to those already living in residential and care homes.
“It’s about helping people who feel overwhelmed…” Marius continues, “…it’s probably the first time they have had to look at something like this, to feel on a more equal footing when dealing with providers and professionals. It’s important that they feel comfortable enough to voice their own opinions when they speak to people like the GP and the social worker so that they know that their opinion matters as much as anyone else’s and that we are here to listen to them.”
One of the main concerns for many care homes at the moment, according to Marius, is the personalisation agenda. This means that each person needs to be recognised as an individual with their own needs and priorities and they need to be seen autonomously. Part of Marius’ role is to help ensure that this happens. “The role of an advocate is to be their voice and to make sure that their rights are being upheld.” He explains. “If a person wants to make a decision that is unwise and they have the mental capacity to make that decision then they should be allowed to, as you and I would be allowed to. As long as they know the risks they should be allowed to act as they see fit.”
However, in some cases Marius is just there to listen, as the people who approach him don’t always want him to act on their behalf but just need someone to talk to. “What’s nice about my service is that I am totally independent. I’m not part of social services or the care home or Bristol City Council. All my funding comes from Comic Relief. I am there for that person and what they tell me is confidential. They must give me consent to pass any information onto others unless the nature of the problem is very severe,” says Marius.
A new webpage will be set up on the ACB website shortly giving specific information about the advocacy service. In the meantime, if anybody has any concerns or any questions Marius encourages them to give ACB a call on 0117 929 7537 and he will be happy to help.
Article by Stacey Sheppherd
Photo by Simon Annand