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29
HOME HELPS' SERVICE.
In December, 1944 the Ministry of Health issued Circular
179/44 in which local authorities were asked to extend the home
helps' service which they were providing under their maternity
and child welfare schemes to persons who through sickness, old age
or infirmity are in especial need of such help. Accordingly, the
Council approved an extended home helps scheme.
It was foreshadowed in the Circular that the supply of helpers
would, in many areas, fall short of the demand and several months
passed without one applicant offering herself for employment as a
home help. Even when the Borough was liberally placarded with
posters inviting women to take up this work only four applications
were received and these four women were quite unable to cope with
the number of families applying for domestic assistance. Finally
the woman Sanitary Inspector was asked to endeavour to recruit
workers and by personal approach to women known to her, such as
mothers with children of school age who had in years gone by attended
the maternity and child welfare centres, a further 41 workers were
recruited by the end of the year.
The cases assisted generally fall within one of the following
four classes
(1) The largest number of applications for domestic help
are received from aged and infirm persons, usually living alone.
The provision of a home help has in a few cases solved the
difficulties which led to the cases being reported to the Public
Health Department for possible action under the powers
contained in Sec. 224 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1936,
as regards compulsory removal to hospital.
(2) Chronic ailment cases— Many of the applicants are
incapacitated by chronic ill-health such as arthritis, heart
disease, diabetes and so on.
(3) Cases of temporary illness.— The service is also found
of great value in cases of illness which have to be nursed at
home, and cases where the housewife is herself ill or nursing a
member of the family and is, therefore, unable to attend to
her ordinary household duties.
(4) Blind persons.— Thirteen blind persons are receiving
home help assistance.