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71
The St. Marylebone Babies' Nursing Home, 20, Marlborough Place, N.W.
Admissions 16. Discharges 32. Deaths 1
Average number in the Home throughout the year 11
Day Nurseries—Attendances during the year.
St. John's Wood, Barrow Hill Road 6154
Portman, Exeter Street 8320
Home Helps.—A system of providing assistance in carrying out the work of the
home to expectant, nursing or ailing mothers was in operation throughout the year.
The women employed were found by the health visitors, who also noted the cases
in which assistance was required. Both the women and the cases were submitted
for approval to the Medical Officer of Health. The system has worked exceedingly
well and the assistance rendered has been greatly appreciated by those who received
it. When the scheme was first adopted it was intended to engage one or more
women who had received or who would be given special training and instruction at
one of the centres, but at the time of starting it was practically impossible to find
women considered suitable. It was decided, therefore, for a time at least to employ
women experienced merely in ordinary house work, and this arrangement has proved
highly successful. The chief work in connection with which assistance is required
is the more or less rough work of the house and the washing, and it is essential to
find women willing to undertake these. Several women both willing and capable
have been found and more or less of a band of " Home Helps " has been formed.
In some cases they are only required for half a day, a few days a week, in others for
a whole day and every day. All of them have taken the greatest interest in the
work and have willingly carried out all instructions. The system adopted is on the
lines described in connection with milk orders under the Milk (Mothers and Children)
Order and the scheme being a contributary one the contribution, if any, to be made
by the mother towards the payment of the home help is estimated in much the same
way. The number of cases in which home helps were employed in 1919 was 8; the
average time for which the help was required was 4 weeks (the longest being 4
months, the reason for employing the help being rheumatism and extreme weakness).
The shortest period was 2 weeks. The total amount expended during the financial
year to 31st March, 1920, was £156 9s. 3d., the payments made to the helps being
at the rate of 25/- per week.