It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Fort Macon State Park gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Morehead City, NC is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Fort Macon State Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local The Island Grille or visit Beaufort Historic Site, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Morehead City, NC, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Morehead City, NC understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Morehead City, NC 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center is making this year’s Fourth of July shrimp fry set for Saturday “A Time to Honor our Community Leaders From Carteret County to western NC.”The nonprofit holds the dinner annually to honor active military, veterans, frontline workers, teachers, school staff, health care professionals, power company line workers and all those who make the community safer and healthier with a complimentary plate, which can be reserved ...
The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center is making this year’s Fourth of July shrimp fry set for Saturday “A Time to Honor our Community Leaders From Carteret County to western NC.”
The nonprofit holds the dinner annually to honor active military, veterans, frontline workers, teachers, school staff, health care professionals, power company line workers and all those who make the community safer and healthier with a complimentary plate, which can be reserved on the website.
This year, organizers have invited the Crystal Coast Water Rescue Team who responded to Black Mountain after Hurricane Helene hit in late September 2024, and Black Member Mountain Fire Department.
“We will be honoring the Crystal Coast Water Rescue Team that courageously traveled to Black Mountain during the Helene response last fall. Part of this recognition is to welcome members of the Black Mountain Fire Department who called on Carteret County for help,” organizers said, adding that the team would be there “to enjoy a much-needed rest from their continuing struggle/recovery and to host them at our event on July 5.”
Throughout the evening, attendees will have be able to enjoy “mountain music” in honor of Black Mountain with area bluegrass bands, Mac McRoy and The South Point Band and the Asher Brinson Band.
Preordered plates will be served from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at 1785 Island Road on Harkers Island. Others can preorder theirs for $20 online, at 806 Arendell St., Morehead City, the heritage center on Harkers Island, or by phone at 252-728-1500. Organizers “strongly encourage” getting tickets ahead of time.
Litter Free Land and Sea is looking for volunteers to help clean up Radio Island after the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
The cleanup is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Radio Island Public Beach Access, 501 Marine Drive in Beaufort.
Organizers ask volunteers to register ahead of the cleanup using the online form.
Bags, gloves, grabbers, and snacks will be provided. Volunteers are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle.
All volunteers will receive a Litter Free Land and Sea tumbler pouch gift for their effort.
Litter Free Land and Sea is a county-led initiative designed to support volunteer clean-ups, facilitate business engagement and communicate the efforts of waste contractors to maintain the beauty and cleanliness of Carteret County.
For more information, email [email protected] or visit the website.
Spotted seatrout harvest season is open with new size and creel limits in inland and joint fishing waters of North Carolina.
The hook-and-line season reopened on Tuesday after being closed between May 2 and June 30 to help the species recover from mortality due to last winter’s cold stun event, according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
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This season, the daily creel limit is three fish per person and a minimum size limit of 14 inches long. A fish may not be harvested if it measures between 20 and 26 inches. One fish over 26 inches long is allowed in the daily creel.
“These rule changes are in agreement with the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission’s Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan Amendment 1 and will be consistent with rules established in coastal fishing waters,” Inland Fisheries Division Chief Corey Oakley said in a release.
The spotted seatrout population is being overfished, according to that plan, and the new rule changes have been implemented to allow the population to recover.
Big Trouble brought a big fish to its hometown dock and set off a big celebration.Big Trouble, a boat based in Morehead City, North Carolina, landed a 517.1-pound blue marlin on Saturday to win its hometown tournament’s marquee division and an estimated payout of around $2.5 million. Fishing finished at 3 p.m. Saturday on the event’s final day, and no other blue marlin were on their way to the scales.Big Trouble won the Fabulous Fisherman’s prize of $807,500 for bringing in the Big Rock’s first blue marl...
Big Trouble brought a big fish to its hometown dock and set off a big celebration.
Big Trouble, a boat based in Morehead City, North Carolina, landed a 517.1-pound blue marlin on Saturday to win its hometown tournament’s marquee division and an estimated payout of around $2.5 million. Fishing finished at 3 p.m. Saturday on the event’s final day, and no other blue marlin were on their way to the scales.
Big Trouble won the Fabulous Fisherman’s prize of $807,500 for bringing in the Big Rock’s first blue marlin weighing more than 500 pounds, and the crew’s total prize money will be around $2.5 million, the tournament announced on social media. Chris Daniels was the boat captain, and Brandon Creech reeled in the winning fish.
Big Trouble’s victory came a day after Southern Grace, a boat from Ocean, North Carolina, hauled in a 653.7-pound blue marlin. But that fish was disqualified under the tournament’s mutilation rule after review and consultation with marine biologists, putting the Fabulous Fisherman’s purse back up for grabs.
Big Trouble knocked Bankwalker and angler Lizzie Montague from the atop the blue marlin division. Montague reeled in a 449.7-pound blue marlin on Wednesday and was bidding to become the first female angler to win the tournament’s marquee division since Gigi Wagoner in 2005.
On Saturday, 254 of the tournament’s 272 registered boats went fishing on the tournament’s final day. Boats are permitted to fish on four of the Big Rock’s six days.
The Big Rock had not yet finalized prize money and all division winners as of Saturday evening. The tournament’s total purse was estimated at more than $6 million.
Jami Frankenberry, [email protected]
A piece of summer was missing last year in North Carolina; El’s Drive-In, a generations-old shrimp burger destination, was closed.The Morehead City icon skipped the high season in 2024 after tough-timed renovations closed the restaurant for months.Now, with an expanded kitchen and a bit of sprucing, El’s returns for one of its biggest weekends of the year.El’s reopened in January after nine months of renovations. Third-generation owner Shelton Franks said Morehead City beat the doors down when the resta...
A piece of summer was missing last year in North Carolina; El’s Drive-In, a generations-old shrimp burger destination, was closed.
The Morehead City icon skipped the high season in 2024 after tough-timed renovations closed the restaurant for months.
Now, with an expanded kitchen and a bit of sprucing, El’s returns for one of its biggest weekends of the year.
El’s reopened in January after nine months of renovations. Third-generation owner Shelton Franks said Morehead City beat the doors down when the restaurants finally removed the construction fence and put El’s sign back up.
“We’ll never have a January that busy,” Franks said. “We had a record month.”
El’s closed in April 2024 after years of delayed renovations finally caught up with the restaurant, but they didn’t do any drastic overhauls to the beloved drive-in.
The main changes are in the kitchen, where Franks doubled the cooktop space by moving the grill and expanded the number of fryers from two to five. They also updated some of the wiring.
Despite closing at the worst possible time last spring, Franks said it was a relatively easy decision.
“We were band-aiding issues from 1959,” Franks said. “There were days when it didn’t really matter how hard we worked, there was no way to keep up with the four lanes of Highway 70. I knew I couldn’t survive another busy summer like that.”
El’s is a right-hand turn to the Atlantic Ocean and has been a treasured lunch spot for families and diners still shaking the sand from their hair.
Part of that allure is El’s signature shrimp burger, a North Carolina coastal delicacy of fried-to-order shrimp, cole slaw and ketchup on a bun.
“It’s that simple,” Franks said. “I feel like we’re the ones that started out, but everyone around town has their own twist on it. It’s what we’re known for.”
This summer Shelton Franks is largely in charge of El’s, taking over operations from his father Mark, who took over from his father 30 years earlier. Shelton was hesitant to say his father was fully retired.
“He’ll never be fully retired,” Shelton said. “He wakes up every morning and preps the bacon for the day.”
The youngest Franks said he only briefly entertained the idea of college and life outside of El’s before committing to the restaurant. Last year he and cousin Ty Mason opened El’s East in Smyrna, opening the brand to a new location and handling some of the demand of a summer without the original. El’s East will remain open and operated by Mason.
“We never really missed a beat,” Franks said. “We closed here (in Morehead City) on a Sunday and opened El’s East on Monday.”
The high season for El’s starts on Memorial Day, but this weekend’s Big Rock Blue Marlin fishing tournament, wrapping up June 15, is one of the largest sport fishing weekends on the East Coast and also a gigantic draw, Franks said.
As Franks enters his first summer in charge, he sees the renovations and time away as helping preserve the legacy he’s inherited.
“I think it’s pretty much a part of so many people’s lives,” Franks said. “Most people have drove by it or stopped by or at least heard about it. My goal is I’m just trying to do right by my grandparents.”
Hours: Open 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Location: 3706 Arendell St., Morehead City, NC
More info: elsdrivein.com
MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (WITN) - The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is reeling in more than just giant fish; it’s bringing in serious dollars to Morehead City’s local economy.The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is a week when the docks are packed, the streets are buzzing, and money is flowing into Morehead City.“There’s really no way to explain it, it’s just insane, insane in the best way possible,” King Mackerel’s General Manager, Kaitlyn Daniels said.Each year, the Big Rock draws ...
MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. (WITN) - The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is reeling in more than just giant fish; it’s bringing in serious dollars to Morehead City’s local economy.
The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is a week when the docks are packed, the streets are buzzing, and money is flowing into Morehead City.
“There’s really no way to explain it, it’s just insane, insane in the best way possible,” King Mackerel’s General Manager, Kaitlyn Daniels said.
Each year, the Big Rock draws tens of thousands of visitors and with them, hotel bookings, restaurant tabs, and local shopping sprees. According to Daniels, this is their most profitable time of the year.
It’s a crazy influx where there is just constant foot traffic on the waterfront, when the fish come in as soon as they are weighed, everyone swarms the restaurants so it’s a great boost of business for us," Daniels said.
According to the Crystal Coast Tourism Development Director Jim Broward, this week brings in so many dollars that it sets many businesses up for success for the season.
“It really helps people get their summer going strong in terms of economic benefit - we have a year-round economy, but this really helps get the season started,” Broward said.
For some excited visitors, this event is an annual travel destination.
“You know if you come down here and don’t go to Big Rock, you’re not doing it right,” Visitor, Mark Valentine said.
Beyond the tournament, the exposure helps the city hook returning tourists and build buzz for next year.
The final weigh-ins later this week are expected to draw even bigger crowds. For local businesses, the Big Rock is a big deal.
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