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 Raleigh National Historic Site 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 Fork, 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.
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“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!”
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“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”
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“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 Devils Fork 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 Capital Grille or visit Devils Fork State Park, 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 Fork, 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 Fork, 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 Fork, 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.
A North Carolina bill, which designates a 60-mile multi-use trail in Catawba, Lincoln and Gaston counties as a state trail, passed the General Assembly on June 26.It is now headed to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk. He is expected to approve the bill. If approved, it will open the project up to potential grants and state funds, according to a news release from Catawba Riverkeeper.Here is a look at the details and path of the legislation.Path to passingSenate Bill 329, a bill to establish the South Fork Passage Stat...
A North Carolina bill, which designates a 60-mile multi-use trail in Catawba, Lincoln and Gaston counties as a state trail, passed the General Assembly on June 26.
It is now headed to Gov. Josh Stein’s desk. He is expected to approve the bill. If approved, it will open the project up to potential grants and state funds, according to a news release from Catawba Riverkeeper.
Here is a look at the details and path of the legislation.
Senate Bill 329, a bill to establish the South Fork Passage State Trail, was sponsored by Gaston County Sen. Brad Overcash and Sens. Mark Hollo of Caldwell and Catawba counties and Ted Alexander of Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties.
That initial legislation aimed to establish a 60-mile paddling, hiking and cycling trail linking Jacob Fork Park in Catawba County with Beatty G. Ross Park in Lincoln County and Daniel Stowe Conservancy in Gaston County.
It was later incorporated into House Bill 23, which addresses several other actions like renaming bridges and approving a Gullah Geechee Heritage Trail in Brunswick County.
The South Fork River, formed by the Jacob Fork and Henry Fork in North Carolina’s South Mountains, flows east from the foothills of Catawba County to Lake Wylie, the release said.
“Its banks have been home to the Catawba and Cherokee Nations for centuries and were the site of many Revolutionary and Civil War battles. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the river generated hydropower for the region’s textile industry,” it added.
According to the release, the South Fork Passage State Trail will be the first state trail in the greater Charlotte region. It will expand recreational opportunities for nearly 20% of North Carolinians who live within an hour’s drive.
“The South Fork Passage State Trail joins 14 existing state trails in North Carolina’s state park system. Spanning nearly 4,000 miles, these trails contribute to the state’s $16.2 billion outdoor recreation industry,” it said.
ASHEVILLE - From a vantage point along stretches of the Blue Ridge Parkway, at popular peaks like Craggy Pinnacle, you might glimpse a shimmering 5.8 billion-gallon lake, fed by mountain streams. It is the typically pristine Burnett reservoir, which supplies water to the majority of the Asheville system's 160,000 customers.But rather than a clear, crystal-blue body of water, on Nov. 11 it was gray-green and choppy. Six weeks after Tropical Storm Helene wreaked havoc on areas of Western North Carolina, the system — which serves B...
ASHEVILLE - From a vantage point along stretches of the Blue Ridge Parkway, at popular peaks like Craggy Pinnacle, you might glimpse a shimmering 5.8 billion-gallon lake, fed by mountain streams. It is the typically pristine Burnett reservoir, which supplies water to the majority of the Asheville system's 160,000 customers.
But rather than a clear, crystal-blue body of water, on Nov. 11 it was gray-green and choppy. Six weeks after Tropical Storm Helene wreaked havoc on areas of Western North Carolina, the system — which serves Buncombe County and the northern portion of Henderson County — was still without potable water. The entire system remains under a boil water notice.
The 355-acre reservoir feeds the North Fork plant, the largest of the city's three water plants. It serves 80% of the city's customers.
The water's turbidity level was at 15 Nephelometric Turbidity Units Nov. 11, said Water Resources Department spokesperson Clay Chandler. NTUs are the unit of measurement used to quantify the amount of suspended particles in water.
The goal is less than 2. But it was a far cry from the immediate aftermath of the storm when the turbidity level was pushing 80, then described as the consistency of "chocolate milk."
This week, the city is poised to enter its third round of in-lake treatment with a combination of aluminum sulfate and caustic soda, intended to continue reducing sediment, along with recently installed "curtains."
Simultaneously, the city is pursuing a backup plan: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will install a temporary water filtration system at the North Fork plant. If the build goes according to plan, the city could see potable water restored by late November to early December.
In mid-November, Chandler led a group of local reporters on a visit to the North Fork plant. For the Citizen Times, it was the first visit since Helene, despite multiple requests after the storm.
Historic flooding and record rainfall severely damaged the system. Primary transmission mains and a key 36-inch bypass line were destroyed. The reservoir was essentially flipped upside down, stirring up sediment and clay. With roads washed out, the water mains and bypass line could not be reached with equipment for days.
The bypass was built to withstand a typical hurricane event after the 2004 floods from tropical storms Frances and Ivan. Though it was buried 25 feet deep, the storm gouged what Chandler has called "an entirely new river channel," eroding several feet of topsoil. It has been buried back even deeper.
The journey to the plant crossed over the North Fork Swannanoa River, a small tributary that feeds the larger river, partly running parallel to the road until it meets the reservoir.
After the storm, the Swannanoa crested at more than 26 feet, roaring from its banks and destroying homes, businesses, livelihoods and human lives. The destruction still evident along U.S. Highway 70. Areas around Black Mountain and Swannanoa were hard hit. Silt and mud lay thickly on riverbanks, punctuated by downed trees. The front half of an 18-wheeler could be seen amid the damage, its cab crunched like a tin can.
On the banks of the reservoir were totes of aluminum sulfate, a coagulating agent used to treat the lake. The yellow turbidity curtains were a stark contrast to the murky water. Craggy Pinnacle was lost in bulky cloud cover. To the east, were the looming peaks of the Seven Sisters.
At the south side of the reservoir, a multimillion dollar concrete auxiliary spillway was "almost certainly" the reason that the North Fork dam did not fail after Helene, Chandler shared in an Oct. 25 briefing. The spillway resulted from the North Fork Dam Improvement Project, operational in 2021.
He had a similar message in an early October interview with the Citizen Times. The intent of the secondary spillway was to create resiliency in the event of large storm events, the city said in a 2021 news release.
“Without that auxiliary dam ... it is not only not out of the question, it is likely that the dam of North Fork would have failed," Chandler told the Citizen Times Oct. 9. "It just simply would not have been able to hold that amount of water back."
If the dam had failed, three catastrophic events would have occurred, he said. First, a tremendous loss of life from the flooding. Second, billions of gallons of water would have been turned loose, hurtling down to areas southwest of the plant. Finally, it would have resulted in the total loss of the water treatment facility and, as a result, 80% of the system's water supply.
“(The improvement project) very likely prevented those things from happening," Chandler said. "For the city to have the forethought they did, and construct that, looking back was absolute genius. Lifesaving genius.”
On Nov. 11, the chute was still littered with debris. Down the sloping ramp of the spillway, one of the eight fusegates — massive concrete blocks or buckets — had tipped and tumbled down. This is the intended design, the city has said.
The spillway activates at 7.5-feet above full pool, Chandler said at the Oct. 25 briefing. When the first bucket fills, it tips.
"This is a mechanical activation based on the weight of water behind a concrete block, and not initiated by human. Water Resources has absolutely no ability to release water from our reservoirs. The only way water is released from our reservoirs is from our primary spillway and, in the event of an emergency, like Hurricane Helene, our auxiliary spillway," Chandler said.
The auxiliary spillway was designed to begin trickling water at a 200-year storm event, the Citizen Times reported in October. The first fusegate was designed to break out at just over a 1,000-year storm event. In order for all fusegates to let go causing a dam failure, a 50,000-year storm event would need to occur.
Non-potable water returns to nearly 95% of Asheville's system. What city learned from 2022-23 holiday outageDrinkable water will be restored to Asheville's system by mid-December, officials saySarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
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