Alzheimer’s Association seeks input at local forums

• Thursday, August 8, 2024, 5:30 – 7:00 PM

Magnolias of Santee, 118 Britain St, Santee, SC 29142

• Thursday, August 15, 2024, 5:30 – 7:00 PM

Longwood Plantation, 1687 Longwood Rd NE, Orangeburg, SC 29118

• Thursday, August 22, 2024, 5:30 – 7:00 PM

North Town Hall, 9305 North Rd, North, SC 29112

Family members within the county are asked to share their experiences accessing resources, healthcare and other support services for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment, as well as weigh in on opportunities, barriers or unmet needs in the community. Feedback shared at the Family Forums will help identify unmet needs and potential solutions through community programming. Attendees will also learn about resources and discover volunteer opportunities to support families affected by this disease.

Participants are asked to register in advance at https://bit.ly/AlzFamilyForums.

For family members currently providing care for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, complimentary sitter service is available through the Alzheimer’s Association to help family caregivers attend this program. This assistance can be requested on the sign-up form.

According to a nationwide model in the Alzheimer’s Association 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, Orangeburg County ranks eighth in the nation for Alzheimer’s prevalence among counties with a population of 10,000 or more age 65 and older, with 15% of the population 65 and older estimated to be living with the disease.

“No individual or family should have to face Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia alone, especially in a community this disproportionately impacted,” said Taylor Wilson, Director of Government Affairs for the Alzheimer’s Association South Carolina Chapter. “By talking about the experiences that real families are having across this county, we can help create awareness and make connections that can lead to real community-driven solutions.”

The South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Registry shows that 2,019 individuals in Orangeburg County were living with Alzheimer’s or related dementia (ADRD) as of 2021, the most recent year that complete data is available. Based on their numbers, African Americans were 28% more likely to have ADRD than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Nearly 10% of dementia cases in Orangeburg County were people under age 65.

An estimated 6.9 million people age 65 and older in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, including 112,500 in South Carolina. This year the cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is projected to reach $360 billion — a $15 billion increase from a year ago. This does not include unpaid care provided by family caregivers and friends. Last year in South Carolina there were 219,000 dementia family caregivers, providing 361 million hours of unpaid care valued at over $5.5 billion.

In 2023, Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law the Alzheimer’s State Plan Act, which requires the South Carolina Department Aging to maintain a strategic, evidence-informed plan to address Alzheimer’s and related dementias, with annual reporting on progress presented to the legislature each year and a plan updated required every five years. The current Alzheimer’s State Plan for 2023-2028, published in March 2023, has a special focus on supportive services in the community to bring resources to those caregiving for the person with dementia.