HOME HEALTH SERVICE

Opunake Times, 29 August 1947, Page 4

HOME HEALTH SERVICE

LOOKING AFTER MOTHER (By the Department of Health) Most of us know how Mother i s missed in the household routine if she is forced through illness to go t 0 bed for a few days or more. Her illnesses are often caused through _ her own neglect of herself in looking- after the family, and the family's neglect of her in not helping as they should. The self-neglect common to so many mothers can, and often does' lead to a dangerous habit of overloaded and unhealthy routine about the house. In overlooking the importance of her own health and comfort, Mother risks a stack of future trouble for herself. Women are normally very healthy when they are properly cared lor. It' ought to be the exception for women to be continually- ailing. But tEere are many undermining factors to which many women needlessly submit. Maybe it's from a mistaken sense of duty. Or more probably,, it's because they have neither the time nor the inclination to correct them. Mother has to spend a high proportion of her time inside the house, but that is no reason why she should not have fresh air. Some women even have the quaint and erroneous idea that food won't cook properly if the kitchen door or window is open. Then, when it comes to eating dinner, Mother is often too fagged out and too hot to enjoy her meal. She has no sooner sat down than she is on her feet again to answer the door, brine in more v ravy, take out the pla'tes and so on. That is extremely bad for the digestion. But its harm can He reduced if these little chores are shared by others at the table. Too much time in a depressing' kitchen, and too much interruption of the meal may not be very noticeable, but they insidiously become part of the accepted routine. And before she knows where she is, mother's consequent indigestion has also become part of the routine of living. There's no need for this at all. should the family leave all these things to mother just because she is too good natured to object ?