Adult Services

The Adult Services Unit offers a full range of services to elderly or disabled adults and others at risk due to problems with physical or mental health.  These include adult protective services, guardianship and payee services, adult placement, limited home repair, and at-risk case management.  We are a licensed in-home aide program with 24 full or part-time certified nursing assistants and serve as the lead agency in Dare County for the Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults.  The Special Assistance In-Home program is also available to assist adults who are trying to maintain their independence and remain in the community.

Adult Protective Services

Adult Protective Services protect disabled adults from abuse, neglect or exploitation.  The disability may be due to advanced age, disease, injury, or developmental condition.  Social workers evaluate to determine if there has been mistreatment and if the adult is in need of protection.  If so, the essential services are provided or arranged for that will protect the adult from the abuse, neglect or exploitation that he or she is experiencing. 

Anyone having concerns that an elderly or disabled person is unsafe or is being mistreated should call the Department of Social Services at (252) 475-5500 and make an Adult Protective Services report.

Adult Protective Services Q & A

Guardianship and Protective Payee Services

Guardianship services include identifying adults who can no longer make competent decisions concerning themselves and/or their property, petitioning the court to determine incompetency, locating and working with families and others during the proceedings, and serving as guardian when no other appropriate person or resource is available.  A guardian of the person is responsible for consenting to medical care or deciding where the client will live.  A guardian of the estate determines how the client’s income and resources are used to meet his or her needs.  A general guardian has responsibilities to both the person and the property.  

When a recipient of a benefit check such as Social Security is unable to manage his benefits to meet his essential needs, our department may be appointed as protective payee.  Instructing and counseling the client to better understand financial responsibility is often a component of this service.

Adult Placement

This service provides assistance to individuals and their families to identify the need for an alternative living arrangement, obtain necessary medical advice as to the level of care needed for the person, locate an appropriate facility, assist with securing financial assistance to pay for the care and providing counseling and intervention when needed for any adjustment problems that occur.  Placement may be in residential health care facilities, adult care homes or other group care facilities.

Community Alternatives Program (CAP)

The Community Alternatives Program offers an alternative to placement for Medicaid recipients who need the level of care offered in nursing homes but who prefer to remain at home.  This program can be approved if a thorough evaluation and care plan can be developed that assures the client’s health, safety, and well-being can be maintained in the home setting.  Family and other social support must be in place as well.  Many services may be included such as aide services, skilled nursing and therapy visits, medical supplies and nutritional supplements, home mobility aids, medical equipment, telephone alert systems, and social work visits to manage the plan.

Legal Services

Legal Services are available to adults 60 and older through a grant we receive from the Older Americans Act and are limited to drawing up wills, powers of attorney, and other documents and providing other legal advice.  Court work is not included.

At-Risk Case Management

Intensive social work services are available for clients at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, placement, loss of independence, family disintegration or other serious problems through the Medicaid program. 

In-Home Aide Services

Our department is licensed to provide in-home aide services in Dare County and the statistics for the most recent year shows that we provided 147 clients with 31, 004 hours of assistance during that year. Assistance provided includes help with bathing, dressing, walking, meal preparation, essential errands, housekeeping and home management.  All areas of the county are included.  The program is funded by grants or by Medicaid for some clients in need of personal care or monitoring and there is no charge to the recipient of the service.  Hours provided can range from a few hours per week to many more depending on the type and amount of assistance needed and the availability of others to help.  Clients who are served under the grants may be asked to contribute a cost share if they can.  This is a donation based on a percentage of the cost per hour of providing the service.  Contributions are not required and no client will lose his aide services or have them reduced if he is unable to or does not wish to contribute.

In-Home Services Q & A

CLIENT BILL OF RIGHTS

Appendix

Examples of abusive or fraudulent conduct that must be reported to the agency an aide works for and should be reported to the state Nurse Aide Registry. All criminal conduct should be reported to the police.