[Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Denbighshire County Council.

  • Denbighshire (Wales). County Council. no2004062613.
Date:
1951
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1951] / Medical Officer of Health, Denbighshire County Council. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    71/106 (page 71)
    DOMESTIC HELP SERVICE. liii the previous Annual Report attention was drawn t(j the raj)id expansion of this Service and that the Superinten- dent Nurs.ing- Officer and her Deputy could not be expected to continue dealing with the growing demands without assist- ance. The Health Committee resolved that an Assistant Nursing Officer should be appointed to administer mainly this Service, and Miss Ramsay commenced duties in December, 1951. From the beginning, the object has been to develop the Domestic Help Service primarily as a valuable adjunct to the medical services, and by selecting a Health V.’sitor to this post the continuance of this policy as well as collaboration and co-ordination are assured. A wide variety of applications for Domestic Help, each presenting an individual problem, have to be carefully con- sidered, so| that only those coming within the province of the scheme are given assistance. Having decided that a Domestic Help should be provided, the number of hours per week and the duration of attendance are determined. The economic situation of the applicant is considered and the ]>ayment to be made is assessed in accordance with nationally approved sca'es. With the continuing rise in the cost of living, the allowances permitted in making the assessment are meagre and do not bear a realistic relationship to the present situation. Fortunately, a) reasonable lattitude is per- mitted so that each applicant can be assessed in the light of circumstances. 'The main source of applications for Domestic Help is from the elderly sick, while applications from maternity cases have declined. Requests are frequently received from hos- Ijitals, for help to be given to patients, pending admission nr on discharge, and thus facilitate the work of the Hospitai Service. Similarly, the Domestic Help Service relieves the strain on the hospital accommodation for chronic sick. Many patients who would otherwise have had to be admitted immediately have remained for much longer in their homes, due entirely to the exceUenit care they have received from the Domestic Help. The recruitment of the right type of Domestic Help is vital t(; the success of this work. Not only must they be good workers, but intelligent, trustworthy, kind, patient and with some sense of vocation. Once ii:il the Service, the in- terest of each Domestic Help must be retained and fostered;