Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-05-10
DISTRIBUTING POINT FOR NURSING.
Mutual Aid Association, by centraIizing
Calls, Provides for All Emergencies
An Interesting Report.

Copies of the fourth annual report Of
the Brattleboro Mutual Aid association
have been distributed this week, and the
contents are very interesting and show
the practical usefulness Of this excel
lent ''neighborhood association for mu-
tual help in sickness" During the year
the association has continued to de-
velop its work, meeting the needs CT
the family in sickness and serving as
the distributing point for all kinds OF
nursing and emergency service. The
number of calls for such service was not
as large as in the preceding year, be-
cause there was less sickness in town,
but the percentage of calls filled was
larger. The days of nursing by Mutual
Aid attendants increased from 1884 to
1892 and the days of emergency house,
work from PIG to 2S1. The efficiency OF
the service was increased greatly by
taking over the district nursing and the
nursing of tuberculosis patients in their
homes, which has resulted in centraliz-
ing all calls for nursing and providing
for almost any emergency in the COM
munity. In the past year the associa-
ton filled 20 per cent more of the calls
for service in sickness than in the pre-
vious year.
Relative to the department of volun-
teer work the report says. in part 1.-THE
work done by the volunteer helpers in
and merits a warm expression of ap-
probation on the part Of the Mutual
Aid association. Many of the members
are mothers and have their own home
responsibilities, but they have always
shown themselves ready to cooperate
| whenever they have been called on to
| give assistance. One of the helpers who
| has more free time than the others has
| gone into one home day after day to
| give practical instruction in cooking to
| two little girls, sthat they and their
| mother, who works in the laundry,
might have more nutritious and appel
| izing meals. She also has helped the
mother in planning for their apparel. v
| I'm one case the members met at the
rooms of the association to make ar
| ticles of clothing for an expected baby
| The mother already had five children
under 10 years of age and needed to
have time for going out and for rest
ing"
The training school for household
service for young women was an ex-
| pertinent and proved a valuable adjunct
| in helping meet the demand for hourly
service in household emergencies, but
| the large expense entailed in training
only six pupils and the difficulty in pro-
curing a sufficient number OF girls Of
| the right type made it advisable to dis
continue that branch of the work. Calls
admirably however, by day workers
registered at the office.
A day nursery was opened Oct. p
with Miss Myrtle Sargent as matron
Since then, up to March ], 10 children
have been cared for, nine being regular
attendants, the ages ranging from 81,
month to ~ years. Whenever G
mother applies to have her child cared
for by the nursery the circumstance!
are carefully inquired into to make SURF
that the mother needs to go out by th'
day and is not, perhaps, supporting
thereby a man who is Sinking his fam
lily responsibilities,
An interesting feature of the report Il
record OF a typical day of the secre
tary and treasurer, the supervisor ant
the district nurse and a years record o
an attendant.
The statistics of the supervisors worl
show the number of patients cared 70
to be $50. OF which Al were maternit.
cases. The number of visits made wa
1882, divided into supervising, nursing
re-natal, confinement, post natal, socia
service and business. Fifty-six grad
uate nurses, attendants, practica
nurses and household helpers were EN-
ployed 2109 days. The record of call
for the year ending Oct. l was: Re
the district nurses work for the yea
ending Feb / show that the number @
patients was 1913. of which IS were sur
gical cases and 81 were medical cases
and 1871 visits were made
The treasurer's report shows receipt
OF S10,026.12 including last years bal
ance OF s113.22. The balance on han
at the date Of the report was s9.49.
| =