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*Number of cases on books at year-end.
1947 31
1948 126
1949 218
1950 339
1951 445
1952 501
*Maternity cases excepted.
A very large proportion of these cases are old and infirm, as will be seen from
the detailed statistics below. The provision of help, by enabling them to lead
independent lives at home as long as possible not only makes for greater happiness and
the prolongation of their mental vigour, but helps to ease the heavy pressure on
geriatric hospital beds.
A medical certificate is required in support of every case, except confinement,
and enquiries are made to see how far relatives can assist before a Home Help is provided
or the weekly number of hours of service decided. Certificates are renewable monthly so
long as the need persists, except in long-term cases in which the interval can be
extended up to six months at the doctor's discretion.
A separate panel of 1 permanent and 5 part-time Home Helps is maintained for
tuberculous cases. These ladies are given careful instruction in precautionary measures
for the protection of their own health and that of the households in which they work.
They are given an initial chest x-ray at the time of appointment, and this is repeated
through the Miniature Radiography Unit at approximately annual intervals. In recognition
of the special care required of them, they are paid at a higher rate than the standard:
even so it is not easy to get volunteers for this branch of the service. Individual
arrangements are made in the rare cases of other infectious households needing Home Help.
Two full-time Male Home Helps are employed who give invaluable services for a
wide variety of cases. The household which presents a formidable problem for its initial
cleaning; the rather difficult old man living alone (and even occasionally the difficult
old lady ); the occasional household with some unpleasant feature or exceptionally heavy
task which would be beyond anything a woman could reasonably be expected to do; all these
are cheerfully undertaken by the Male Home Helps, with a considerable easing of the
Organiser's difficulties.
For whatever purpose she is to be employed, great care is taken in the selection
of a Home Help, and the Organiser's searching enquiries include a visit to see how the
candidate keeps her own home and manages her own domestic affairs. The Home Help Organiser
works in close co-operation with the Superintendent Nursing Officer (who has charge of the
Home Nursing Service) but is not subordinate to her.
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