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107
In any case where a Home Help is found inefficient or unsatisfactory in any
respect, information should be sent at once to the Medical Officer of Health
at the Town Hall.
" The Duties of a Home Help are as follows :—
"On being summoned to the case, she must as soon as possible inform
the Medical Officer of Health at the Town Hall. A stamped addressed
envelope will be given for this purpose.
"She must not attend the case until the confinement is over, and her
services are only to be given between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (except
in special circumstances).
"She is only expected to attend up to a maximum of 48 hours per week
for two weeks. Any time in excess of this is not paid for unless special
authority is given.
"The times of attendances must be entered on a time-sheet daily, which
sheet should be signed by the patient or some responsible person on her behalf,
and presented at the Town Hall for payment as each week is completed.
"The duties consist of general home management, including cooking,
not more than two weeks' washing, and the care of the children (she will not
undertake arrears of washing).
"A doctor and a nurse, or midwife, will be in attendance, and it must be
fully understood that no nursing duties are to be undertaken by the Home Help.
"If there are not suitable facilities for washing in the house, the Home
Help will wash elsewhere (Baths, etc.) and out-of-pocket expenses, if any,
will be paid.
"Patients are not expected to provide meals for Home Helps.
"Home Helps will be under the general supervision of the Health
Department, and they are expected to attend at the Model Welfare Centre,
210, Kingsland Road, as requested from time to time for instruction in their
duties."
The foregoing rules for Home Helps were not so drawn in the first instance,
but were modified to their present form in order to prevent the possibility of a Home
Help being placed in the predicament of being present at a confinement at which
the doctor or midwife failed to arrive.
Consideration of the position arising in homes in which the confinement is
conducted by a doctor or student, and where consequently no arrangement is made
for the necessary nursing duties during the puerperium, led the Council to decide that
they would supply a nurse to doctors' cases if a Home Help is being supplied.
The question of arrangements for the nursing of cases delivered by students
in which a Home Help is supplied was taken up with the Hospitals concerned, and
was still under discussion at the end of the year.
The number of cases in which a Home Help was supplied was 33, and in two of
these a Nurse was supplied also.