As We Are Now
The book As We Are Now, written by May Sarton, targets those concerned with the care of elderly individuals in nursing homes. In the book, Sarton artistically highlights the plethora of ongoing issues social workers face in their work as they attempt to provide quality care to the elderly population. The book is written as the memoirs of a very thoughtful elderly woman, Caroline Spenser, as she spent part of her life in a nursing home; and brings to light the lack of quality of care that elderly individuals received when living in such a facility in the 1970’s.
The story is a work of fiction focusing on the life of Caroline Spenser, a 76 year old woman who, after suffering from a heart attack, is taken to Twin Elms Nursing Home to live by her elder brother. It is made known by Caroline that she understood the decision her brother made because living with him was causing stress on her brother relationship with his wife. Caroline was a former teacher, never married, who enjoyed scenic views, poetry and music. She never really felt she fit in anywhere and so spent her life enveloping herself in the things she loved; such as traveling, teaching and giving her heart to a married man. Caroline’s life changed, however, when she had her heart attack. Caroline was forced to sell her home, she had to depend on others, and she had to give up many freedoms. These were some of the things that kept Caroline “lively” while at the nursing home, but she often had difficulties accepting her fate. Along with Caroline’s sadness for her new found losses, she eventually developed a deep hatred for the owner of the nursing home, Harriet, whom she reports had never treated her or any other clients with respect or dignity. Many times Caroline has overheard Harriet discuss the clients of the nursing homes in demeaning ways, once reporting “we are talked about always as ‘them’ as if we were abandoned animals thrown out of a car” (Sarton, 1973). In addition, Caroline felt alone by
The story is a work of fiction focusing on the life of Caroline Spenser, a 76 year old woman who, after suffering from a heart attack, is taken to Twin Elms Nursing Home to live by her elder brother. It is made known by Caroline that she understood the decision her brother made because living with him was causing stress on her brother relationship with his wife. Caroline was a former teacher, never married, who enjoyed scenic views, poetry and music. She never really felt she fit in anywhere and so spent her life enveloping herself in the things she loved; such as traveling, teaching and giving her heart to a married man. Caroline’s life changed, however, when she had her heart attack. Caroline was forced to sell her home, she had to depend on others, and she had to give up many freedoms. These were some of the things that kept Caroline “lively” while at the nursing home, but she often had difficulties accepting her fate. Along with Caroline’s sadness for her new found losses, she eventually developed a deep hatred for the owner of the nursing home, Harriet, whom she reports had never treated her or any other clients with respect or dignity. Many times Caroline has overheard Harriet discuss the clients of the nursing homes in demeaning ways, once reporting “we are talked about always as ‘them’ as if we were abandoned animals thrown out of a car” (Sarton, 1973). In addition, Caroline felt alone by
References: Brown, L. D. (1991). Health Policy and the Disadvantaged. North Carolina: Duke University Press. Howell, N. M. (1992). Clinical Case Management: The Hallmark of Gerontological Social Work. 124-127. Matzo, M., & Sherman, D. W. (2009). Palliative Care Nursing: Quality Care to the End of Life. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Sarton, M. (1973). As We Are Now. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.