home help

plural home helps

1. A person employed, especially by a social services department, to perform household chores and provide aid to a patient or infirm person in the latter's own home; a carer.

   The work of the assistant home helps was particularly focused on older people (Simonen, 1990).

   2003, Tempo Kröger, Anneli Anttonen, Jorma Sipilä, “2: Social Care in Finland: Stronger and Weaker Forms of Universalism”, in Anneli Anttonen, John Baldock, Jorma Sipilä, editors, The Young, the Old, and the State, page 32

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   Home helps performed domestic and social care tasks (cleaning, for example, or helping clients shop or collect pensions).

   2006, Roger Sapsford, Survey Research, page 24

   Synonyms: carer

2. uncountableThe aid provided by such people.

   The origins of the home help service can be traced back to the Sick Room Help Society based in the East End of London.

   1994, Christina R. Victor, Old Age in Modern Society: A Textbook of Social Gerontology, 2nd edition, page 219

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   2005, Wienke G. W. Boerma, Carl-Andy Dubois, 2: Mapping primary care across Europe, Richard Saltman, Ana Rico, Wienke G. W. Boerma, Primary care in the driver's seat?: Organizational reform in European primary care, page 33, In contrast to home nursing, home help services are not a part of health care but are considered as social services, except in Ireland, the Netherlands and to some degree in Germany.

   Synonyms: home aid, home care