Adult Services Questions & Answers

In-Home Services Q & A

Q. Do I have to be 60 years old to get an aide?
A. No. We have funds to help those younger than 60 if you can show that you need the service.

Q. Does my doctor need to send a letter or write an order?
A. Not usually for our program, though they do for Home Health Services. However, your doctor must authorize our services if we bill Medicaid.

Q. Can I get an aide right away?
A. Once you are found to be eligible for the program, the service will begin as soon as an aide is available. Sometimes people do have to wait.

Q. Why do some people get more hours of aide time than others?
A. A part of evaluating the need for an in-home aide involves determining what tasks a client needs help with and how long it should take to do it. Since clients need help with different things and some need more help than others, not everyone will receive the same amount of aide time. Sometimes the aide supervisor isn't able to schedule the same hours on each day the aide can come but will do the best she can. This happens because we have many clients who must be worked into the schedule and we can't always guarantee that the aide will be available the same time each day.

Q. I am stuck at home all the time. I really need for my aide to take me out to eat once in a while or to just ride around. Why can't she do that?
A. Only certain tasks may be done by in-home aides when they are being paid by public funds as with our program. These tasks usually are limited to essential personal care assistance, essential housekeeping, meal preparation, and shopping. Recreational trips may be important to a client's well being but are prohibited by the rules under which we operate. Most people turn to senior centers, volunteer groups, church organizations, and family members for recreational activities.

Q. Why can't I give my aide a gift?
A. It is prohibited under the Dare County Personnel Ordinance for employees to accept gifts from clients. It is very important for employees to maintain professional relationships with clients, particularly when they work in the client's homes.

Q. Why does the social worker ask about my income and how often my family comes to see me?
A. An important part of determining who needs aide services is establishing deprivation. Clients who are fortunate enough to have capable and willing family members who see them often are usually not in as much need as clients who have no one. Clients with adequate income have a choice of purchasing some of the services they may need privately. Clients with very little income may need the support of our program because they have no other way to get help.

Q. What should I do if my aide mistreats me or doesn't do the things I was told would be done?
A. You should call us immediately so that we can help you. Also, because we are licensed by the state to provide this service, you can report problems directly to the licensing agency. You can reach them at the address and number below:

N.C. Division of Facility Services
Home Care Licensure Branch
P.O. Box 29530
Raleigh, N. C. 27626-0530
phone: (919) 715-0158

Q. Are there services that your aide program does not provide?
A. Yes. We are not a home health agency and do not provide skilled nursing or hospital level care. Examples of this are administering tube feedings or IV fluids, and doing urinary catheterization. We work closely with all of the home health agencies in Dare County and serve many of the same clients with more hours of aide services than they provide.

Adult Protective Services,
Guardianship, Placement Q & A

Q. Can you send someone to help my neighbor? His health seems to be failing and he has no family to help him?
A. We can have a social worker visit him and evaluate his needs and offer services to him if he needs them. He has the right to accept or refuse our services. If he is so incapacitated that he can't make decisions, we may be able to help him in other ways.

Q. Do you have services for adults who are irresponsible with their checks?
A. We may be able to help set up a protective payee for them or help the family file for guardianship if necessary.

Q. Who do I go to for help if I see someone mistreated in a nursing home?
A. You should immediately notify the administrator or supervising nurse of the problem. You should also report it to the Adult Protective Services social worker in our office at (252) 475-5500 so she can evaluate the need for protection. If an employee of the nursing home was involved, the Division of Facility Services in Raleigh, which licenses nursing homes, also needs to investigate the incident. You can reach them at (800) 662-7030 or (919) 733-8500. There is a nursing home ombudsman located in Hertford who can be reached at (252) 426-5753.