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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.

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Home Care In Brook Cove, NC

Home Care Brook Cove, NC

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 HouseIntheHorseshoe 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 Brook Cove, NC is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.

 In-Home Care Brook Cove, NC

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The Always Best Care Difference

Since 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.

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TESTIMONIALS

“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.”

MATTCH
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TESTIMONIALS

“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.”

Samantha T.
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TESTIMONIALS

“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.”

Kelly P.
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TESTIMONIALS

“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..”

Ffbjj B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“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!”

Beth G.
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TESTIMONIALS

“This company is TOP-NOTCH! Incredibly helpful and super friendly. If you’re looking for a part-time in caregiving, this is it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”

MJ F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“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.”

Meredith K.
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TESTIMONIALS

“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.”

Ginger M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“The staff and caretakers are wonderful. Would absolutely recommend to anyone who needs at home care for themselves or loved ones”

Michael B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“These folks are so helpful! They care about their clients and it shows in the service! I highly recommend ????”

Mary E.
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TESTIMONIALS

“The staff and caretakers are wonderful. Would absolutely recommend to anyone who needs at home care for themselves or loved ones”

Phillip B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“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.”

Barry C.
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TESTIMONIALS

“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.”

Laura M.

What is Non-Medical Senior Care in Brook Cove, NC?

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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.

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When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

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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.

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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.

 Senior Care Brook Cove, NC

Types of Elderly Care in Brook Cove, NC

To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:

Personal Care

Personal 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:

  • Eating
  • Mobility Issues
  • Incontinence
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Grooming

Respite Care Brook Cove, NC
Home Helper

Home Helper Services

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:

  • Medication Reminders
  • Meal Preparation
  • Pet Care
  • Prescription Refills
  • Morning Wake-Up
  • Walking
  • Reading
 Caregivers Brook Cove, NC
Companionship Services

Companionship Services

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 Hanging Rock State Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.

Common companionship services include:

  • Grocery Shopping
  • Transportation to Appointments
  • Nutritional Assistance
  • Conversation
  • Planning Outings
  • Completing Errands
  • Transportation to Community
  • Events and Social Outings
Home Care Brook Cove, NC
Respite Care

Respite Care Services

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 Hillbilly HideAWay Restaurant or visit Old Stone House, 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.

 In-Home Care Brook Cove, NC

Benefits of Home Care in Brook Cove, NC

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:

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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Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

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.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

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 Brook Cove, 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.

 Elderly Care Brook Cove, NC

Affordable 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:

If your loved one qualifies, Medicaid may help reduce in-home care costs. Review your NC's Medicaid program laws and benefits, and make sure your senior's financial and medical needs meet Medicaid eligibility requirements.
Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.
Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.
Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.
Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.
 Senior Care Brook Cove, NC

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers.

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 Brook Cove, 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.

Assisted Living Referral Services

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.


Respite Care Brook Cove, NC

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:

  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Recreational Activities
  • Social Outings
  • Emergency Medical Response
  • Medication Monitoring
  • Family Visitation
  • Personal Care
 Caregivers Brook Cove, NC

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:

  • Walnut Ridge Assisted Living
  • Tranquility Care Of WinstonSalem
  • Walnut Cove Health and Rehabilitation Center
  • Priddy Manor Assisted Living Memory Care
  • Walnut Cove Senior Center
  • Stoney Brook of Copperas Cove
Home Care Brook Cove, NC

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.

 In-Home Care Brook Cove, NC

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

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

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A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive

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Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider

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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 Brook Cove, 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.

 Elderly Care Brook Cove, NC

Latest News in Brook Cove, NC

Acidosis Impacts on Southern Appalachian Brook Trout

The range of the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (SABT) is greater than just the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) (see Figure 1), but GSMNP has been a pioneer in research related to brook trout genetics, population monitoring, restoration, and other brook trout studies by local, state, and federal agencies and a myriad of universities. The SABT has experienced severe declines within its range for a number of reasons. One of the most significant, at least in the GSMNP, has been the episodic acidification o...

The range of the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (SABT) is greater than just the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) (see Figure 1), but GSMNP has been a pioneer in research related to brook trout genetics, population monitoring, restoration, and other brook trout studies by local, state, and federal agencies and a myriad of universities. The SABT has experienced severe declines within its range for a number of reasons. One of the most significant, at least in the GSMNP, has been the episodic acidification of surface waters. Many studies have been conducted over the last decade looking at the issue and its impact on the physiology and survivability of the SABT. Environmental stressors such as headwater water chemistry changes, predominantly pH changes, have been shown to be the major source of headwater declines in brook trout range in GSMNP (Wesner et al. 2011). What this excerpt will focus on is the physiological mechanisms used by SABT to cope with acidosis in their environment. GSMNP receives elevated levels of atmospheric sulfur and nitrogen deposition due to the burning of fossil fuels, automobile emissions and agricultural practices. When these nitrogen and sulfur compounds are combined with air and water, they create acids that contribute to the acidification of the soil and surface waters. Higher elevation streams are known to be more sensitive to acidic conditions because of their low acid neutralizing capability, resulting in higher rates of episodic stream acidification in the higher reaches of the park (>3500 ft) (Deyton et al. 2009, Neff et al. 2013). Increased industrial emissions were caused by the burning of fossil fuels that release SO2, NO, NO2, and NH3 into the atmosphere, where it can attach water vapor and fall with precipitation in the form of H2SO4, HNO3, and NH4+ (Driscoll et al. 2003). GSMNP receives elevated rates of atmospheric acid deposition in comparison with other areas on the east coast, resulting in increased episodic stream acidification events, adding to the acidification of soil and surface waters in the park. Episodic stream acidification occurs when increased rates of atmospheric acid deposition occur, bringing increased precipitation to soils and water bodies, resulting in periods of increased stream flow and decreased water pH. Areas with heavy year-round rates of atmospheric acid deposition tend to have decreased soil pH. By decreasing the number of base cations (or positive ions like calcium, potassium and sodium) in the local geology, this limits buffering capabilities, and exacerbates the pH problem. Organic acids also contribute to the acidification of streams in the form of natural plant nitrates carried from surface soils into stream channels. Acids leach into poorly buffered streams of the GSMNP through wet deposition (acid rain), dry deposition (pollutants that stick to leaves during dry periods, but are flushed from these and other surfaces during rain events), and naturally occurring organic acids in soils. When these acids run off into the watershed, they cause rapid declines in stream pH (Driscoll et al. 2003, Neff et al. 2009). Acidification events create a rapid change in stream pH and a general imbalance in the environmental ions available for ion exchange. The mechanism of acid stress in fishes is generally recognized as an ion regulatory disturbance that can lead to circulatory collapse and in extreme cases death. Environmental acidifications are very taxing events on normal fish physiology. Fish are highly sensitive to even minute changes in environmental pH, which can result in changes in enzyme function. (Claiborne et al. 2002) Acid/base regulation is a greater challenge for fish than it is for terrestrial organisms primarily because of the use of water as a respiratory medium in contrast to air. As a result fish must ventilate their gills at a high rate in order to meet normal oxygen needs. The smallest of changes in environmental pH may result in relatively large changes in blood pH for a fish. To counteract any abrupt changes in internal pH, fish rely on the direct transfer of acid/base relevant ions (H+, HCO3-, NH4+, OH-) across primarily gill epithelial surfaces, but also the kidney and intestine have been shown to be involved (Evans, et al. 2005). A variety of mechanisms have been postulated to be involved in acid/base relevant ion exchange. In freshwater fish, the epithelial mechanism associated with the excretion of excess acid has been shown to be the proton ATPase (H+-ATPase). (Perry et al. 2003, Evans et al. 2005) This ATPase pathway is heavily ATP dependent, therefore it represents a high metabolic cost for any organism in which it is active. This pathway is not thought to be the only transporter associated with pH regulation, but is thought to significantly effect acid excretion in freshwater fish. When studying membrane transport proteins it quickly becomes apparent that this function is rarely a process of maintaining a single ion's homeostasis. These proteins work as a unit to maintain a balance between the organism and external environment. The current range of the SABT has been created by a variety of historic and current geologic, geographic, and anthropogenic influences as well as recent environmental factors on the species, such as habitat loss and degradation, competition with nonnative fishes, climate change, and atmospheric acid deposition (Galbreath et al. 2001, Aunins 2015). Some declines of SABT populations can be originally attributed to deforestation of their native habitats by timber companies, the lack of forest decreased stream quality due to sediments and runoff flowing into the streams with the absence of a riparian buffer to control it (Karas 1997). The lack of shade that the recently logged timbers creates also allowed water temperatures to rise, forcing the fish to move to more shaded, cooler zones or die (Aunins 2015). The logging also impacted the riparian buffer which then impacts the chemistry of the streams. The water quality of some streams and rivers, which SABT inhabit inside of the park, regularly fall outside of the standards set by the "Clean Water Act" putting these fish at risk of acidosis (GSMNP Water Quality Annual Report 2011). In fact in 2008, 12 Tennessee streams were listed as "Impaired" on the state 303d list due to low stream pH (mean pH values less than 6.0). In many areas of the park with SABT populations, there are high elevation, small basin watersheds, which typically have lower stream sodium content, low acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of the stream and soil, and high water flow in storm events (Neff et al. 2013). Within these high elevation watersheds of GSMNP, it is believed that episodic acidification of streams associated with atmospheric acid deposition is the greatest threat contributing to the loss of SABT. This difference in water chemistry around the park can create difficulties when completing water quality assessments and their impacts on the SABT populations, especially since there are adaptive differences within GSMNP SABT populations let alone across their entire range based on environmental adaptations and habitat differences. In other studies unique stream specific adaptations have been noted in SABT populations from one stream to another within the park. Though no study has been found to support the hypothesis it would be logical to assume there would also be differences across SABT range as well. Given this data and assumption it could be concluded that separate SABT populations would react differently to short and long term pH change events, therefore making a definitive comparison and conclusion difficult without more study. The regulation of pH is not the only challenge for freshwater fishes;because of the low sodium content of freshwater environments, fish must maintain a hyperosmotic state compared to the external environment. Maintaining a specific hyperosmotic ion concentration prevents the fish from becoming too salt-depleted or overhydrated (Evans et al. 2005, 2008). This results in a hyperosmotic state in freshwater fishes in which the animal is constantly loosing salts (NaCl) to their external environment and gaining water. Because of the excessive water gain in low pH environments, fish pee a lot. In the chemical sense, ion balance and pH regulation are intrinsically linked. Research has shown the coupling of Cl- with HCO3- and OH- also Na+ with NH4+ and H+, provides passive channels for these molecules to regulate through. The internal osmolarity of freshwater adapted fish is much greater than that of the environment. This causes the fish to passively absorb water while simultaneously losing Na+ and Cl- ions to the environment. This causes that fish to produce copious amounts of hypotonic urine as well as actively up-taking Na+ and Cl- through gill epithelia as well as through ingestion. The SABT is constantly undergoing changes in its internal pH due to atmospheric acid deposition affecting the acid balance of its native streams. These constant changes make it very difficult for these animals to maintain a systemic pH homeostasis or balance, although it is necessary for their survival. The aim of this research is to provide physiological information from SABT that can assist GSMNP in determining toxicity thresholds of the various acid deposition compounds. These data can be used to set air quality standards to guide emission reductions that will restore and maintain viable, healthy SABT populations within the park. To provide these data, the GSMNP fisheries department focuses a portion of their fish and water quality monitoring efforts on streams known to be low in sodium content in order to assess fish and stream health. These data will guide regulators and park managers in developing strategic GSMNP plans that will reduce acidification of park streams and provide the habitat conditions necessary to protect and preserve SABT populations within and across its borders for future generations. Suggested Links https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/Profile/2205188 https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/Profile/2191303 https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/Profile/647689 https://irma.nps.gov/App/Reference/Profile/2189080 Prepared by Guy Jester. References

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