Several state agencies and advocacy groups will hold a press conference on Friday to provide an update on South Carolina’s comprehensive 2023–2028 plan addressing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
The briefing will be held at noon on the first floor of the State House. A key feature of the event will be the unveiling of a new “Brain Health Toolkit” intended for senior centers across the state.
The statewide plan is funded through a CDC grant and implemented jointly by the S.C. Department of Public Health and the S.C. Department on Aging. Its primary focus is on risk reduction, early detection, and expanding support services available to families affected by dementia.
Officials from the Alzheimer’s Association-SC Chapter, the SC Department on Aging, the SC Department of Public Health, and Gubernatorial Appointees to the Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Coordination Council are set to outline progress in existing programs, including the Dementia Care Specialist initiative and the newly developed toolkits for caregivers and senior centers.
The need for this comprehensive effort is clear: over 112,000 South Carolinians aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, an estimated 224,000 caregivers in the state provide approximately 369 million hours of unpaid care annually.
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