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Long Term Care in South Carolina

Most South Carolina residents prefer to receive long-term care at home; however, South Carolina spends most of the state’s Medicaid funds on institutional care.

By 2020, 12 million older Americans will need long-term care. Most will be cared for at home; family and friends are the sole caregivers for 70 percent of the elderly. A study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that people who reach age 65 will likely have a 40 percent chance of entering a nursing home. About 10 percent of the people who enter a nursing home will stay there for five years or more.3 In South Carolina, 9 percent of people 65+ have a self-care disability and 11 percent have a cognitive disability.

The majority (89%) of Americans age 50+ want to stay in their homes for as long as they can, and most 50+ South Carolinians express concern about this.5,6 South Carolina’s long-term care budget does not reflect their concerns with most of its Medicaid long-term care dollars for older people and adults with physical disabilities going to institutional care.

For more information, contact Aisha Bonner at 202-434-6320.