Alzheimer’s advocates ask for continued support from SC lawmakers

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1 in 3 seniors die of the disease or another dementia.

In South Carolina, 95,000 people suffer with Alzheimer’s and 216,000 serve as caregivers.

In recent years, several bills have been passed to improve the lives of those dealing with the disease.

“All of this is because legislators have listened to the constituents, heard about the stories of caregiving and have made a policy response by investing and creating opportunity,” said Taylor Wilson with the Alzheimer’s Association.

One of the ways lawmakers have helped combat Alzheimer’s includes funding a five-year plan to tackle the disease through a bill signed into law last year.

“Last year, we were given 10 million dollars for a research center that brings together USC, Clemson and MUSC,” Wilson said. “They have been working diligently on that.”

The association says that Alzheimer’s research has come a long way in recent years.

“We can now identify all three hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease through imaging. When I started with the Alzheimer’s association, we could not do that,” Wilson said. “We now have treatments for the disease pathology within the brain instead of just treating the symptoms and supercharging the neurons. We have come leaps and bounds.”

Alzheimer’s advocates are asking lawmakers for $1.1 million to establish a dementia care specialist program with the department on aging.

“This has been a really successful program in Georgia and Wisconsin,” Wilson said. “We hope to bring South Carolina into the fold and see success.”

The program would allow for 10 case managers to work in all 46 counties in the state. It would allow more people to be connected to much needed resources who might not know about them.

South Carolina resident Laura Joseph saw first hand how the disease impacted her own grandparents over the years. 

“He ended up having to give up his bus company to be a caregiver for her,” said Joseph, an Alzheimer’s advocate who lost her grandmother to the disease. “It took a huge toll on my grandpa’s physical health which took a huge toll on my mom. She was having to care for him as well as her mom.”

Another step lawmakers have taken to help includes the respite program, which provides needed relief for caregivers. 

For more information about Alzheimer’s, check out this link.