In June 2008, the South Carolina General Assembly created the Purple Ribbon Task Force by passing Senate Concurrent Resolution 1333 to study the current and future impact of Alzheimer’s disease within the state, assess resources for those impacted by Alzheimer’s, and develop a strategy to meet the needs of South Carolinians. Housed in the lieutenant governor’s Office on Aging, the Purple Ribbon Task Force included representatives from state health and aging agencies, law enforcement, research institutions, long-term care agencies as well as health care providers and state legislators. In March 2009, the Task Force published Conquering the Specter of Alzheimer’s Disease in South Carolina. Following a 14 year gap since the previous publication, the state Alzheimer’s plan for 2023-2028 was developed after a six-month planning and data collection period. The Alzheimer’s Resource Coordination Center (ARCC) Advisory Council served as the statewide representative coalition of experts and stakeholders throughout the planning process. Following the publication of the state plan, SB 0569 (Act No. 53 of 2023) was enacted, requiring the ARCC Advisory Council to maintain and update the state plan every five years and submit an annual report to the governor and general assembly concerning progress towards fulfilling the state plan.

Improve Loan Forgiveness to Address the Workforce Shortage

Workforce shortages have a profound impact on individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia. In South Carolina, specialists in neurology and geriatrics are in the shortest supply. South Carolina is deemed a “neurology desert” and has only 66 practicing geriatricians statewide. In 2005, the state implemented the Geriatric Loan Forgiveness program. The current amount provided by the program is inadequate to increase the pool of neurological disciplines and geriatric health professionals that can provide care for those living with Alzheimer’s and other dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association is urging state lawmakers to support an increase in the amount provided for the Geriatric Loan Forgiveness Program from $35,000 to $50,000. This increase will ensure that more individuals who practice geriatric medicine, neurology and neuropsychiatry are drawn to practice in the state.