Anna Louise Tittman Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Anna Tittman 36
A. When we bathed.
Q. So every other day or approximately, theretd be a clew patient
and clean linens?
A. Yes. Or if they soiled the bed, they got it changed men. Now the
beds those days weren't hi*. You had to stoop, you know., Well, it was
easier for me than it was for som others. But the bed w+ a little bed,
not way down, but kind of like little chairs. But now [tc@ay] you don't
have to bend and they have beds that will go up and down Wd so forth,
you how.
Q. Did they have my way to ra,ise the head of the bed? 1
A. Well, we had a [backrest] that we could put back behw 'che person; it
was a lift le fllam. It would have one stick coming down *re and then a
fim here that you could put a pillow on for them to leq against. And
then this would be like a chair that you open up. It W O go ~ into these
notches on the piece that went back here.
Q. Against the head of the bed. Would the nurse have to pet this up for
the patient?
A. Oh, yes, it would be easy.
A. Yes. It would be li@t wood, yes. Oh, well, you'd be glad to have them
have the chance to sit up.
Q. But then you1 d have to run back when they wanted to lie down again.
A. Yes. Well, you'd probably tell them that they'd better lie down now.
( l aws
Q. It's the for you to Lie down now?
A. Well, mybe itfd be their suppertim pretty soon, then you'd get them
set up for their supper. Maybe you got them up for their wals, that is,
you propped them up so they could feed themselves.
Q. Did you as nurses deliver the trays to the patients?
i
A. Yes. Yes, indeed; cxmied them in. They were put up the kitchen and
we could carry only one at a time, we didn't have carts to
Q. But that would sometimes mem carrying them to one or hwo floors. Did
you have a dmbwalter?
A. We mustlve had. No, we hadb I think we had a little eGra diet mom
where the trays, where they can-+?. That msttwe been it. nat isn't clear
to E. They must 've been sent up.
Q. Well, you girls worked so hard co-d to the way thq work tom.