COLUMBIA, S.C. — Advocates at the South Carolina State House are pushing to secure funding for dementia care specialists statewide.
It’s in response to the 2024 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report which shows over 100,000 individuals were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2020.
This staggering number is accompanied by approximately 216,000 caregivers who provided an estimated 361 hours of unpaid care in 2020, amounting to about $5.5 billion in value.
"Our caregivers are really our first line of defense against a disease that is growing in prevalence," said Taylor Wilson with the SC Alzheimer’s Association.
The Alzheimer’s Association is lobbying to secure $1 million in the state budget to fund 10 dementia care specialists. These specialists would play a crucial role in connecting newly diagnosed individuals and their families with essential resources, including center services, adult day centers, respite opportunities, and early-stage advisory communities.
"While we're looking for treatments, prevention, and cures, we can't leave behind the families that are already suffering,” said Wilson.
The Department of Aging has been running a pilot program with one specialist for about two years. According to Wilson, that pilot position has provided statewide online training for nearly 400 individuals and assisted over 100 families in navigating available resources.
“That's one person in less than two years,” said Wilson. “What happens when we multiply that by 10?”
The House did not include the funding request in their version of the budget, which passed last month. Senator Tom Davis from Beaufort County is now championing the cause in the Senate, citing moral and financial reasons for supporting the initiative.
"From a moral perspective, you're improving quality of life and saving Medicaid dollars for South Carolinians. And above all, it's just the right thing to do,” said Davis.
For Wilson, who was also a caregiver for her grandmother, this mission is deeply personal.
“I was working for the Alzheimer's Association at the time when she was diagnosed and even still, we missed out on resources that were right down the road from her home,” said Wilson. "It would have made all the difference in the world for my family.”
The Senate is expected to take up the budget next week.
Last year the association helped secure $10 million for a research center that brings together the University of South Carolina, Clemson, and the Medical University of South Carolina.