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 Historic Bethabara 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 Winston-Salem, 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.
“Looking for a placement is always difficult for a family. Contacting Sandy to help was”
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“This company is TOP-NOTCH! Incredibly helpful and super friendly. If you’re looking for a part-time”
“Sandy is very knowledgeable of assisted living options in the Winston Salem area. She helped”
“I highly recommend Sandy Bowen with Always Best Care. I called her with a very”
“The staff and caretakers are wonderful. Would absolutely recommend to anyone who needs at home”
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“During an unexpected hospital stay, Joanne provided much needed assistance. She provided excellent care and”
“If you are looking for attentive, quality home care look no further than Joanne and”
“Looking for a placement is always difficult for a family. Contacting Sandy to help was the best option. She was familiar with all assisted living/memory care facilities around town and was quick to respond to the family with tours. She delivered FL2 forms to physician's and made the transition an easy process. I recommend Sandy 100 % for any family needing a smaller community for their elderly family member.”
“I have been working for ABC for two years now, and I am very grateful for my position. The staff are acceptable, the clients are lovely, and the environments are professional. I highly recommend PCAs and CNAs to apply.”
“Such a wonderful place to work! Caregivers that genuinely care with office support that go above and beyond for staff/clients. Highly recommend for employment and senior in-home care support.”
“I bn with this company for Abt a year and I love working for them . They work with you,they care about ur personal life/ problems, really good at matching you with good clients..”
“I cannot say enough good things about this company and the caregivers they provided after my mom's recent accident and stay in a rehab facility. The staff were constantly in communication with us keeping us abreast of any little or big updates. Their attitudes were always helpful and they seemed to genuinely care. The caregivers they sent to sit with and take care of mom were EXCELLENT. I'm not sure how many different caregivers she had over the few weeks of her stay but there wasn't a single one that wasn't kind and extremely helpful. It took a tremendous load off of everyone in our family knowing that she was being well cared for when we couldn't be there. Thank you to Brandi, Joanne, Gina, and anyone I'm missing for everything you all did for us from the beginning of the process all the way to my mom's release today. Hopefully, we won't need your services again, but if we do, I know who I will be calling!”
“This company is TOP-NOTCH! Incredibly helpful and super friendly. If you’re looking for a part-time in caregiving, this is it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
“Sandy is very knowledgeable of assisted living options in the Winston Salem area. She helped with a family member’s search with care and consideration. We highly recommend.”
“I highly recommend Sandy Bowen with Always Best Care. I called her with a very tight timeframe to find a suitable memory care facility for my family member. She asked a lot of questions about my loved one to try and get to know her as much as possible. She worked very fast and lined up several appointments for us to tour places within a matter of days. She explained the process to me every step of the way and made sure we stayed on track. She attended the appointments with me and asked questions that I would never think to ask. I can’t thank her enough.”
“The staff and caretakers are wonderful. Would absolutely recommend to anyone who needs at home care for themselves or loved ones”
“These folks are so helpful! They care about their clients and it shows in the service! I highly recommend ????”
“The staff and caretakers are wonderful. Would absolutely recommend to anyone who needs at home care for themselves or loved ones”
“During an unexpected hospital stay, Joanne provided much needed assistance. She provided excellent care and supportive advocacy. It made dealing with the discomfort more bearable and gave me a safeguard to decipher the complicated choices to resolve health issues. I highly recommend this service.”
“If you are looking for attentive, quality home care look no further than Joanne and her team. A passion for excellence is driven for from this team. Family oriented and willing to work with all families.”
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 Bailey 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 Downtown Grille or visit Old Salem Museums Gardens, 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 Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, 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.
Winston-Salem City Council voted 5-3 to cut the vacation benefits and sick time for firefighters in half. Those changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —New changes are coming for the Winston-Salem Fire Department.Winston-Salem City Council voted 5-3 to cut the vacation benefits and sick time for firefighters in half. Those changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.City council members say their decision to cut benefits did not come easily."Tonight is...
Winston-Salem City Council voted 5-3 to cut the vacation benefits and sick time for firefighters in half. Those changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —
New changes are coming for the Winston-Salem Fire Department.
Winston-Salem City Council voted 5-3 to cut the vacation benefits and sick time for firefighters in half. Those changes will go into effect Jan. 1, 2026.
City council members say their decision to cut benefits did not come easily.
"Tonight is a very difficult vote for me. I wanted to make sure that I say that," said Regina Hall, who represents Northwest Ward.
"We can't compensate you for what you do, not fairly," said Vivian Joyner, who represents South Ward.
City council members spoke with heartfelt words after voting to cut sick time and vacation benefits for Winston-Salem firefighters.
Firefighters tearfully embraced one another following Monday's vote.
"It's not equitable, it's not fair, and it really puts a strain on the firefighters who currently work here," said Ashton Parrinello, the president of the Winston-Salem Professional Firefighters' Association.
Right now, firefighters accrue paid time off based on a 24-hour day, and 56-hour work week. They receive 288 hours of sick time per year and accrue up to 720 hours of vacation. Now, starting Jan. 1, 2026, those numbers would be cut in half.
For months, Parrinello and other firefighters have vocally opposed the plan. They say it would lead to more retention and recruitment issues.
"We just lost a 20-year firefighter a few weeks ago. I suspect that more will be on their way out, unfortunately," Parrinello said.
Although the proposal has been voted on, Parrinello said the union will not stop pushing for better pay and benefits for firefighters.
"We'll continue to do more work, we'll continue to work with city council, and we will continue to advocate for this department to make it one of the best in our state, it's just going to take us some time," Parrinello said.
City leaders plan to conduct a three-year compensation study across all city departments, with a verbal commitment to study the fire department first.
MOCKSVILLE — Jerry Corum was, shall we say, rather displeased Tuesday afternoon.“Pissed off, really,” he said, waving off any of the nicer, gentler adjectives that he might have chosen to describe his frustration.He’d driven to the state Department of Motor Vehicles office in Davie County to renew his driver’s license, a trip he said he’s made three or four times in the past two weeks only to find a long line of people needing to renew, take a road test or get a REAL ID accepted for air trave...
MOCKSVILLE — Jerry Corum was, shall we say, rather displeased Tuesday afternoon.
“Pissed off, really,” he said, waving off any of the nicer, gentler adjectives that he might have chosen to describe his frustration.
He’d driven to the state Department of Motor Vehicles office in Davie County to renew his driver’s license, a trip he said he’s made three or four times in the past two weeks only to find a long line of people needing to renew, take a road test or get a REAL ID accepted for air travel.
And this time, he didn’t even make it to the door. A large, foldable sign stopped him dead in his tracks.
Sorry … We’re FULL for today.
“What am I supposed to do now? My license expired yesterday,” Corum said. “They really need to do something about this.”
DMV offices, like those which house dentists and proctologists, have been the butt of jokes almost since the day states decided that vehicles should be registered and those who would operate them be licensed to do so.
What’s the hardest part about working at the DMV? Keeping a straight face when people complain.
Yeah. Gallows humor, the best of it, usually contains a kernel of truth.
Perhaps several decades too late, the state has turned its attention to improving the DMV experience.
State Auditor Dave Boliek, in one of his first acts after taking office, ordered an audit of the agency to see what the problems might be and what, if any, solutions might be had.
Preliminary findings were released in June, and Boliek took to a podium earlier this week to expound on them.
The issues include … wait for it … long wait times, difficulty booking appointments through an online portal intended to streamline the process and an overwhelmed workforce.
“Our data-driven analysis indicates that current DMV workforce levels are insufficient to meet the needs of North Carolinians,” Boliek said when the preliminary findings were released. “To provide citizens the service level they expect and deserve, the DMV must have more employees in its offices.”
Anyone with eyes — and business that requires an in-person visit — knows that much. How much did this audit cost?
In addition to Saturday hours already in place at 20 offices across the state, Greensboro and Winston-Salem among them, potential solutions floated by DMV Commissioner Paul Tine include hiring more driver license examiners and revamping a queuing system — take a ticket, take a seat — to account for office capacity.
Doing so should eliminate the maddening (and all too common) phenomenon of turning away people who’d waited for hours when quitting time rolls around.
As things stand now, DMV offices serve — or are supposed to serve — walk-ins all day. Shifting appointment times to the afternoon, the commissioner suggests, will allow examiners to handle walk-ins during the morning and curb the afternoon crunch.
All that sounds peachy, but the auditor, the commissioner and ticked-off customers such as Paul Corum know exactly what fixing the DMV will take — more employees. And workers, qualified and motivated ones at any rate, cost money.
DMV offices rely in large part on hiring temps. And the audit showed that 68% of some 142 temporary examiner positions were vacant as of June.
No shade toward temporary workers (or the agencies who provide them) but how hard will people work if they know they’ll be somewhere else next week? Or if the job doesn’t come with, say, health insurance?
“What they need is more than one or two people in there,” Corum said. “I’m not even sure that’ll help, though.”
Lawmakers running the circus in the General Assembly have yet to pass a budget so there’s no way to know if they’ll allocate more to run an agency most of us dread having to visit.
Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.
Lawmakers did pass a bill, signed into law last month by Gov. Josh Stein, which establishes a two-year grace period for standard driver licenses that expire through Dec. 31, 2027.
“That right?” a relieved but skeptical Corum asked when I told him.
“That’s only for regular licenses,” I said. “It doesn’t apply for CDL (commercial driver licenses.) You have to renew those.”
“Well, that’s what I got,” Corum replied. “And I’m 85. So maybe that means I won’t ever have to come back.”
Mojito Latin Soul Food in Winston-Salem will close on August 24 due to decreased foot traffic and downtown parking changes.WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Mojito Latin Soul Food, a locally owned restaurant in downtown Winston-Salem, will close its doors on August 24 after five years in business.Owner Michael Millan says a drop in customer activity played a major role in the decision.“It boils down to foot traffic and people ...
Mojito Latin Soul Food in Winston-Salem will close on August 24 due to decreased foot traffic and downtown parking changes.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Mojito Latin Soul Food, a locally owned restaurant in downtown Winston-Salem, will close its doors on August 24 after five years in business.
Owner Michael Millan says a drop in customer activity played a major role in the decision.
“It boils down to foot traffic and people not coming on this side of downtown as much as they used to," said Millan.
Millan and his wife had been discussing the future of the restaurant about a year ago - it was only recently that it became a reality.
“In the last 6 months, it was a conversation that my wife and I needed to have because money wasn’t coming in," said Millan.
He also pointed to changes in downtown parking as a factor.
“Man, I wish they hadn’t of done the parking, that wasn’t cool... When you go to a big city and you got the QR code and you scan it, you get a certain amount of time for parking. Those are things you see in destination locations – it was kind of shocking to see that here in Winston-Salem. It hasn’t worked out so great in my personal opinion," lamented Millan with a laugh.
Millan, who trained at Johnson and Wales and has cooked around the world, opened Mojitos to bring a personal culinary vision to life
"That was my comfort food, that was my soul food, and so I wanted to translate that into a kicked-up version, a more stylized version.”
While the restaurant is closing, Millan says he’s proud of what they accomplished.
“I feel really good about what we did here. We had a really great run, we brought something new and exciting to Winston, and I feel confident in the product we put out, and I feel confident in the amount of customers that we served," Millan said.
Last week, the board asked Forsyth County Commissioners for $8.5 million to help close the gap.WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The financial troubles in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools first came to light in April.Now, WS/FCS Interim Superintendent Catty Moore, brought in to sta...
Last week, the board asked Forsyth County Commissioners for $8.5 million to help close the gap.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The financial troubles in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools first came to light in April.
Now, WS/FCS Interim Superintendent Catty Moore, brought in to stabilize the situation, updated the school board with a hopeful tone.
The district is still working to address a $46.1 million budget shortfall. That deficit has grown in recent months, and Moore warned it could increase further due to what’s called “Month 13.”
“In accounting, there is a Month 13 that we as the district hold open for July and August for all of those things that might come in after June 30 that are actually prior-year expenditures,” Moore said.
She explained that while these late expenses are common, they’re harder to manage this year.
“One of the things that is more difficult for us as a district this year with Month 13 is that expenditures coded for the year before can usually be paid with savings from that same year. But we have no carryover this year—no additional funds from within the year to do that,” Moore said.
Last week, the school board asked Forsyth County commissioners for $8.5 million to help close the gap. Commissioners have not made a decision yet. But Moore emphasized the request wouldn’t impact taxpayers.
“This does not impact any citizens’ taxes, and it does not impact the commissioners’ fund balance,” Moore said.
The board also voted to formally request more money from state lawmakers.
“We also need to request financial assistance from our state legislators. And after conversations with our local legislative delegation, it was made very clear we need to have a formal ask for the needed funds in the form of a letter,” Deanna Kaplan, WS/FCS Board of Education Chair said.
Moore is expected to go before the county commissioners again in the next couple of weeks. It’s still unclear whether the county or the state will step in to help cover the remaining shortfall.
After a massive water leak caused by a poor pipe repair, a Winston-Salem woman turns to WFMY News 2 to finally get the money she's owed.WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — When Linda Blunt opened her water bill earlier this year, she expected to see the usual $70 charge. Instead, she saw a staggering total close to $600.“I thought, ‘Oh no, what in the world? They made a mistake,'” Blunt said.The city hadn’t made an error. A plumber later confirmed that her water meter was spinning uncontrollably — a...
After a massive water leak caused by a poor pipe repair, a Winston-Salem woman turns to WFMY News 2 to finally get the money she's owed.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — When Linda Blunt opened her water bill earlier this year, she expected to see the usual $70 charge. Instead, she saw a staggering total close to $600.
“I thought, ‘Oh no, what in the world? They made a mistake,'” Blunt said.
The city hadn’t made an error. A plumber later confirmed that her water meter was spinning uncontrollably — a telltale sign of a leak. The leak turned out to be significant, and the fix came with a high price tag: $6,634.
“They told me afterward it had been fixed with the wrong kind of pipe and shark bites,” Blunt explained, referring to a prior repair dating back to a neighborhood fiber optic installation.
Years earlier, crews working on underground lines had apparently damaged her water pipe. While a subcontractor made a quick repair, it didn’t hold up.
“They were hitting lines every day, it seemed like,” Blunt recalled of the original construction.
After uncovering the likely cause, Blunt contacted the cable company responsible. But after being redirected to a subcontractor’s insurance provider, she hit a wall.
“No one was returning my calls. They were ignoring me,” she said.
Frustrated and out of options, she contacted WFMY News 2's 2 Wants to Know team. Unlike the subcontractor, the news team’s call didn’t go unanswered.
“The next thing I know, a guy’s on the phone, apologizing and asking for my address,” Blunt said.
Not long after, Blunt received a check in the mail covering the full $6,634 repair cost.
“That’s a lot of money when you’re on Social Security,” she said. “It was a big relief.”
According to HomeAdvisor, homeowners spend an average of $500 to $1,500 annually on plumbing issues, with major repairs or pipe replacements costing up to $6,000 or more, just like Linda’s case. Hidden underground leaks or faulty past repairs can cause bills to spike dramatically, often without warning.
Blunt says she’s holding on to her paperwork — just in case.
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