Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-11
Commissioners Get
Appeal 10 Continue
Housekeeping Aides
Three Groups Request
Use of District Funds
To Keep Them on Duty

Continuance of Housekeeping
Aides through District Government
funds is being urged upon the Com
nissioners by the Instructive Visit
ing Nurse Society," Catholic Chari-
ties and the Family Service Associ-
alton.
Federal supporting funds have
been withdrawn and training classes
stopped. During the past 81 months
more than 300 white and colored
aides were trained to discharge
home duties, such as preparing and
cooking meals. bathing and feeding
infants sewing, cleaning, launder-
ing, bedside care and home man.
agement.
Unless this service is restored,
poorer families unable to pay for
home care will suffer, according to
three local agencies in position to
know the type of work performed
by the aides.
IVANS Largest Single User.
II feel it would be a tragedy if
the Housekeeping Aides Services goes
out of existence at this time" said
Miss Gertrude H. Bowling, executive
director, Instructive Visiting Nurse
Society. The IVNS probably has
been the largest single user of the
service of the Housekeeping Aides
since its Inauguration.
The IVNS gives care to from 90
600 to 5000 patients in a year. APP
proximately two-thirds of these are
unable to pay for their own care.
When illness strikes, there is no
money to pay for maid service in
the homes, and relatives who may
have been available during the de-
preston are now working on jobs
The Housekeeping Aide, where
the mother is i'll, acts as a substi-
tute for her, sees that the mother is
looked after in the interim of the
nurses visits, sees that the chill
dren are cared for and started to
school; in other words, holds the
home together.
The services of the aides have
been used largely for maternity
cases al& for patients who are
acutely i'll, Many patients are MAX
ing satisfactory recovery in their
own homes with part-time nursing
service when the aide service is avail
able to tide the family over the
emergency.
Economy Measure.
Nov, when hospitals are badly
overcroWded, it is more important
than ever that every effort be made
to salvage the aid service as an
economy measure. l very much
hope that some way may be found
to continue the housekeeping aides
as permanent feature in the Dis
trict of Columbia
Not only will this be an economy
measure but it will release the badly
needed hospital beds for abnormal
maternities and for patients too
seriously i'll to be cared for in their
own homes
Miss Florence Murray, assistant
director of Catholic Charities, said
her group was on record as having
urged continuation of housekeeping
aides.
I'VE have found their program
very effective in the treatment of
family problems" Miss Murray said.
with the lack of domestic ser
wants, the aides have been most
helpful. and we would hope that the
Commissioners would find it pos
sible to provide funds for the
agency's continued life"
Communication also came from
Mrs. Mildred Kilinskl, acting direc-
tor of the Family Service Associa-
ton.
1T Is very necessary service"
she said. Its need has been DEM
onstrated over a period Of years. 1t
seems particularly unfortunate that
the aid service should be discon-
tinued now, what with the difficulty
of getting maids. and a number of
poor families needing and unable to
pay for this service. II makes the
shortage all the more acute.
II felt their work is so worthwhile
that I brought it to the attention of
our board OF managers, and our
board urged the Commissioners to
maintain the service"