As we are now is a first-person narration novel revolving around the life of Caroline Spencer who is seventy-six years and lives in a retirement home. May Sarton has clearly addressed the theme of the plight of senior citizens who have no caregiver but are taken to the nursing home and abandoned.  She is dumped to the facility by her family who does not visit her, and she feels that she is left to die. The facility is nothing but a camp for passing time and is filled only with elderly citizens. She starts recording what she had experienced at the past and in the present and names the collection “Book of the Dead.”

Through the journal, the reader gets insights on what those who live in a nursing home go through and why the facilities dealing with patients requiring long term care are severely regulated (Perez, 2015). The conditions in the Twins Elms where Caro was admitted were not pleasing. Those living in the facility could only access basic needs which are food, shelter, and clothing (Sarton, 1992). However, if the narration was to happen today, the experience could have been contrary as the facilities are required to not only offer basic needs but also ensure that those admitted are well taken care of both physically, mentally and psychologically.

The facility back then did not offer freedom but instead was like a prison where one could be punished if they behaved contrary to the wishes of the nursing centre owner. Caro saw the facility unconducive and referred to it as Hell, but she did not have anywhere else to stay, so she had to persevere. She had no right to talk, and if she did, then she was drugged and restrained(Sarton, 1992). Also, Caro did not go to the facility by choice, unlike today where one is allowed to look at different facilities and go to the one that will offer the best services. The senior citizens should not be neglected or discriminated because of their age but should instead be provided with a conducive environment where they will age gracefully.

The facility has many men, but Caro at least has her separate room, but she does not relate well with Harriet who owns the facility. She treats Caro harshly until she feels that the facility is a camp where families dump their elderly relatives or parents. She does not experience love and care in the facility, but she instead feels demeaned; that is why she opts to write personal journals as she awaits her death (Sarton, 1992). The only source of comfort is the minister and his daughter as well as Anna who has been hired on a short contract to replace Harriet. Caro was never married and did not have children although she had a brother who had health issues so he could not take care of her. To ease the feeling of rejection, she wrote the journal and could also look outside through the window from where she could see the view of the rural surrounding.

It is interesting to understand the importance of basic things that one undermines such as interaction and the importance of having someone who can listen to you. One can develop depression which could have been prevented if he/she had someone to talk to(Sarton, 1992). The elderly who prefer to stay with their loved ones as they will receive love and care as compared to living in the nursing homes which are not meant for long term stay.

Caro was a teacher, and Standish flint was a farmer who had turned deaf. The inability to work made him angry and resentful since he now had no other alternative apart from staying in the retirement home and awaiting his death(Sarton, 1992). The caregivers are expected to treat the patients with dignity rather than scorning them and treating them like prisoners. This, however, did not happen in the case of Twin Elms where the caregivers were unfriendly and ready to punish anyone who raised their voice to complain about how they were treated. The patients are suffering, but they have to endure, some like Standish are too weak and lonely. He keeps thinking about his wife who fell sick, and he spent a lot of money, but she did not heal and ended up in a different nursing home. This shows that food, shelter, and clothing are not enough for these elderly citizens. Some of them require psychological support which is not available in the facility described by Sarton.

The society that does not care for the elderly can be judged negatively because they are class of people who cannot be able to take care of themselves because of poor health, lack of sources or lack of strength. The elderly are vulnerable members of society, and it is sad to imagine that they have to live in such demeaning conditions. However, it is a sigh of relief as the government has already established regulations that ensure that the nursing homes are in perfect conditions. Those who may be looking forward to admitting their loved ones in retirement facilities should therefore not be worried that they will be treated like Caro.

References

Sarton, M. (1992). As we are now: a novel. WW Norton & Company.

Perez, R. (2015). Nursing Reform Then and Now [Video]. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/jnqdt_gvb4xb/as-we-are-now-may-sarton/

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