The district nurse
Until the 1970s, home health care was the job of cross associations. Together they had some 1,500 branches. In the spirit of pillarisation, the associations were set up by pillar: the Green Cross was neutral, the White-Yellow Cross Roman Catholic and the Orange-Green Cross Protestant. In 1990, the various associations joined forces to form the National Home Care Association (LVT).
Cross associations
The district nurses of the cross societies were respected by everyone. We often see her in old photos, riding a bicycle and otherwise on a moped with a sturdy coat and a leather cap on her head.
In the 1960s, the importance of religion within the cross societies began to decline. This was noticed by Diny Groenendijk, who worked for the Catholic Wit-Gele Kruis in Nootdorp in South Holland, even though she herself was not a member of the Church of Rome. It was not a problem, but Diny had to visit the parish priest to learn how to pray the rosary for people who were dying.
