Thanks to our dedicated advocates in all 50 states, AIM is leading the way to advance legislation to improve the lives of those living with dementia and their caregivers across the nation. During the 2023 legislative session in South Carolina, Governor Henry McMaster and bipartisan state legislators took action to prioritize the response to Alzheimer’s and other dementia in their state. 

Addressing the Alzheimer’s and dementia crisis requires coordination across state agencies and divisions within state government. Fourteen years after the release of its state Alzheimer’s plan, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) released the 2023-2028 South Carolina Statewide Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. The updated plan outlines five priorities for addressing Alzheimer’s and other dementia including educating health care providers and communities, engaging in advocacy and policymaking, improving access to care, improving caregiver support, and increasing access to data and resources. 

Following the publication of the update, South Carolina passed SB 0569 (Act No. 53 of 2023). This bill requires an advisory council to maintain and update the plan every five years and submit an annual report to the governor and general assembly on the progress towards fulfilling the state plan. Ensuring frequent updates to the state Alzheimer’s plan will help the state comprehensively address Alzheimer’s and other dementia now and in the years ahead. 

Investing in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementia, South Carolina also appropriated $10 million for the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with the University of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina, and Clemson University. The research institutions will utilize the new funding to strengthen their dementia research efforts and hire additional staff. Additionally, the funding will strengthen the organizations’ application to the National Institute on Aging to become a multi-institutional Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) in South Carolina. 

The state budget also maintains the existing $900,000 in funding for dementia-specific respite care and the $150,000 for the Alzheimer’s Resource Coordination Center to provide dementia-specific grants to community groups that provide additional respite and services for people living with dementia and their families.

South Carolina is also taking a public health approach to addressing dementia in the state. Thanks to a BOLD Public Health Programs to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias award in 2021, the SC DHEC has updated and expanded its Take Brain Health to Heart campaign. In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association South Carolina Chapter, the American Heart Association, and Eat Smart Move More South Carolina, the SC DHEC worked to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and brain health. Take Brain Health to Heart is reaching people in rural areas and underrepresented populations that have a higher prevalence of the cardiovascular risk factors that correlate with increased risk of cognitive decline and possibly dementia.

South Carolina will be able to continue this critical public health work with the renewal of its BOLD award. 

Learn more about how your state is utilizing public health interventions to address cognitive health.