The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-11-20
BOARDING HOMES
RENDER DISTINCT
AID TO NEEDY
Manteo Has One, Widely Rec
ognized AS Sanctuary for
Aged White People
BY GOLDIE H. MEEKINS
Superintendent of Public Welfare.

Superintendent of Public Welfare
Dare County has one of the
209 licensed boarding homes for
adults in North Carolina which
are providing congenial sur
roundings and a sense of indie
pendence for over 2,100 older
citizens of our State.
Here as in every one of the 100
counties over the State these Ii
censed boarding homes are super
vised by the county departments
of public welfare. Residents in
these 209 homes include persons
from nearly every walk of life.
Some are paying their own way;
others are aided by relatives and
friends; and still others, who
have no resources of their own,
are receiving public assistance
which permits them to pay their
way in the home.
These boarding homes are a
logical result of the outstanding
efforts being made in North
Carolina to provide for the ever
increasing number of older peo-
pie. Since 1947 the number of
homes has steadily increased
each year. The changes in the
economy and standards of living
in North Carolina, as well as in
other states, have resulted in
smaller homes in which it fire.
quently becomes impossible to
provide room for any persons ex-
cept the immediate family of par
ents and children. In addition,
the advances of medical science
have extended the life span of
many more people to the older
years, thus increasing the size of
this segment of citizens of the
State and nation.
Many types of boarding homes
are included in the 209 over the
State; about so per cent are for
white persons, 20 per cent for
! Negroes.
A number of counties in the
State have assigned special case
workers to work with older peo-
ople. In Dare County, special case
work services are rendered to our
aged population residing in the
Beacon Boarding Home.
| Rates for Accommodations in the
licensed homes over the State
range from about $50 per month
to more than $3.50, depending on
the service rendered. Persons IS
to IS years of age form by far
the largest segment of the popu-
lation of the homes throughout
the State though there are some
residents in these homes under
40 and even some over 95 years
of age. Counselling with the aged
person himself or with his fam
lily permits placement in a board
ing home which meets the spe-
cial needs of the individual.
Licensing by the State Board
of Public Welfare, as provided
by State law, assures the careful
supervision of these homes as to
health and welfare factors and
the maintenance of fire safety
| standards. The State Board en-
courages the establishment OF
these homes and works with the
operators as they seek to attain
licensing standards. From time to
time the State Board holds work
shop meetings especially for the
operators of the boarding homes
as an aid to maintaining high
standards of service to the aged
Typical situations over the
State which have been aided by
the boarding home plan included
these: family stress and strain
was resolved for one of North
Cardinals families recently when
counselling and placement SER
vice helped the mother to per-
sonally satisfying life of in
dependence from her children's
lives IAN elderly gentleman
whose reactions to the controls
and criticisms of his own family
were bringing about symptoms of
poor mental and physical health
was placed in a boarding home
suited to his needs and became
relaxed and happy; woman long
a patient in State Hospital but
no longer needing treatment was
placed in a boarding home in
familiar surroundings which in
cluded few well-loved personal
belongings and made a most
satisfactory adjustment.
In Dare County our greatest
need in the matter of boarding
homes for adlts is the licensing
/ Of tNun oddifinaoI h-rx1