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Home Helps.
"Home Helps" is the name given to women who are employed
by the Council to assist in the homes during the lying-in
period of certain necessitous women. The Home Help is employed
for a period of two weeks, her duties beginning at the onset
of labour. Formerly only those women who wished to be confined
at home were eligible to apply for a Home Help, but recently the
Scheme has been extended so that a Home Help may be employed
now to supervise the home and children of a woman during
her confinement in hospital. The Helps are usually chosen by
the expectant mother, but must be approved by the Health Visitors
as being suitable for the work. Their work is closely supervised
by the Health Visitors, and only those people from homes
clean and free from infection are allowed to come to the lying-in
patient. The duties of these women are set out in the following
form, a copy of which is handed to each one on her accepting
duty. The quick return of the intimation of the commencement
of duties is in order that the Health Visitors may at
once get into touch with the case. The Health Visitors also visit
the house several times during the stay of the Home Help in the
house, in order to see that she performs her duties, and to give
any necessary advice.
Number of applications from Expectant Mothers 988
Eligible (under Council's Scale of Income) 876
Ineligible (under Council's Scale of Income) 109
Withdrawn 3
Total ... 988
The value of this service is, first, in saving many mothers
from getting up too soon after confinement to attend to household
duties (with resulting debility and chronic iil-health due to
pelvic trouble) ; and, secondly, in supervising any other children
of the household while the mother is laid up.
Midwives.
Total number who notified their intention to practice in the
Borough in 1929, 105 ; of whom all are trained.
Number of cases attended by midwives in 1929, 4,140.
Number of cases in which medical help was summoned, 701.
116