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Resident urges Carteret County to expand adult respite services; county staff says it will explore options
Summary
A resident asked the Carteret County Board of Commissioners to support an adult daycare/respite program for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias; the county manager and several commissioners expressed support and said staff could seek grant funding if the board directs them to do so.
Joseph Ann Smith, a Carteret County resident and longtime property owner on Emerald Isle, told the Board of Commissioners on Sept. 15 that the county lacks adult daycare and respite services for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and urged officials to support creation of a local program.
Smith said her husband required caregiving and that local home-health aides charged $30 to $50 an hour and sometimes provided inadequate supervision. “Why doesn’t Carteret County have a daycare? For Alzheimer’s patients and those with dementia,” she said, and described work she has done to explore models and partnerships, including a “Respite for All” program she is discussing with Trinity Methodist in New Bern.
The request drew sympathy from county leaders and several commissioners, who described personal experience as caregivers and pledged to review options. County Manager (name not specified) told Smith the county is building its senior services program and “we do hope to also have adult daycare.” The manager added that the county’s senior-services director could pursue grant funding if the board wants to move in that direction.
Vice Chairman Mansfield and other commissioners described caregiving as a heavy burden on families and said they would support efforts to expand respite services. Commissioner Walter said caregiving “takes a village,” and Commissioners Quinn, Shen, Moore and Clark expressed similar support and empathy. No formal motion to establish a program or to commit funding was made during the meeting.
Background and next steps: Smith provided the board with a business plan and referenced an existing regional respite model she said is used in neighboring counties. County staff said they have made changes to senior services and could pursue grants but that any program expansion would require further direction from the board and likely external funding. Specific funding sources, program size and timeline were not specified at the meeting.
The board did not vote on program establishment or funding at the Sept. 15 meeting; staff said they would follow up with Smith and with the senior-services director to explore grant opportunities and program design if commissioners request it.
