Help for Seniors in South Carolina

More than 900,000 of South Carolina’s population are older adults, and 10% of them are living in poverty (Source). The state’s average cost of living is a bit lower than the national average, meaning retiring in South Carolina is relatively less expensive. Plus, there are several assistance programs and services to help seniors age healthy and strong. Here is a guide to resources for seniors in South Carolina.

The median age of South Carolina, as of 2020, is 39.7, more than a year higher than the national average, which is 38.5. However, the life expectancy of the state is lower than the U.S. average. Households led by seniors have below-average-annual-incomes levels. Also, it is less likely to find a 55+ senior working in South Carolina. Luckily, the state is significantly cheaper than the national average. Seniors can find a one-bedroom apartment at $634 per month on average, lower than the national average by almost $200. Seniors in South Carolina have many resources and affordable living options to enable them to age healthy and safe.

Living Options for Seniors in South Carolina

The state ranks 38^th in Long-Term Care and comes in 36^th position for quality of health services. About 26% of senior South Carolinians are living alone, increasing the need for quality housing among them. The good news? There are many options for senior living an individual can choose, depending on their needs and circumstances.

Independent Living: South Carolina boasts over 180 independent living facilities spread throughout the state. This senior living option is suitable for elderly persons who can survive on their own without 24/7 care. These facilities cost anything between $511 and $3,250 per month. Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort Metropolitan Area’s independent living facilities are the most expensive in the state. More affordable ones are found in the Florence area.

Assisted Living: There are over 330 assisted living institutions in South Carolina costing between $930 and $5,910. These facilities are for seniors in need of assistance with daily tasks, including bathing, feeding, and grooming. Residents of these institutions need attentive caregivers, healthcare, and socialization opportunities.

Memory Care: South Carolina has 160 memory care facilities costing an average of 50,003 a year. Head Hilton area has the most expensive facilities. Cheaper memory care facilities can be found in Florence. These facilities are for older adults suffering from dementia-related infections.

Nursing Homes: Nursing homes are for older adults who need constant nursing care. There are more than 190 licensed nursing homes in the state providing quality care to seniors with chronic infections. The average cost of nursing care in South Carolina is $190 per day, which is significantly lower than the national average, $228.

South Carolina Department of Aging (SCDOA)

South Carolina Department of Aging is dedicated to improving the quality of life among seniors in the state and works with different organizations to develop services aimed at helping older adults remain independent in their homes. The Department spends $1,400 on average per client every year to keep seniors out of nursing homes which would cost a lot more. More information is available at https://aging.sc.gov/.

SCDOA operates under the following programs and services:

Alzheimer’s Resource Coordination Center (ARCC): Located within SCDOA, the ARCC was established in 1994 by state legislation to support the needs of older adults suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and any other related dementias through services and information. About 86,000 South Carolinians are living with Alzheimer’s. This represents 11% of the senior population in the state, and the number is projected to increase to about 120,000 by 2025. ARCC offers grant funding every year, and applications are only accepted from respite care and educational programs supporting families and caregivers of seniors with dementia.

ARCC Advisory Council comprises Lt. Governor appointed members and people from organizations with special interests in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. The council works to:

• Come up with systems for developing support programs and services to assist families and caregivers of seniors with these diseases.
• Facilitate research coordination, development of programs, and planning of initiatives.
• Identify seniors with any type of dementia and increase the availability of resources to help them.
• Offers training, education, information, and referral services to people with dementia or families caring for seniors with such issues.
• Influence the policy-making process in matters concerning Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

For more details about ARCC, please visit https://aging.sc.gov/programs-initiatives/alzheimers-resource-coordination-center-arcc.

ElderCare Trust Fund: ElderCare Trust Fund was created to assist programs that support seniors to remain in their homes and avoid living in long-term care institutions. The purpose of this fund is to assist the low-income elderly South Carolinians by offering grants that finance support programs. These programs in turn help seniors age in place, thereby reducing the cost of being institutionalized. The Fund was established in 1992 and has spent more than $400,000 in funding over 30 nonprofits throughout the state. The ElderCare Trust Fund finances these programs:

Anderson Interfaith Ministries: A program dedicated to creating safer and accessible homes for older adults. The program can provide home repair services by building ramps, grab bars, and banisters. The program’s service areas are Pickens, Anderson, Oconee, and Abbeville Counties.

The ARK of SC: A program dedicated to providing training to caregivers on how to take care of seniors living with Alzheimer’s diseases and related dementias. The program serves Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, and Colleton Counties.

Visit https://aging.sc.gov/programs-initiatives/eldercare-trust-fund for more information.

Evidence-Based Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Title III-D): Evidence-Based programs (EBPs) are there to help reduce the impact of chronic infection, and related injuries, including falls, in seniors’ lives. These programs receive funding from Title III-D of the Older Americans Act, and financing is based on the number of older adults aged 60+. To qualify, the programs must be aimed at supporting healthy lifestyles and behaviors among senior South Carolinians. EBPs are designed to empower the elderly to maintain healthy lifestyles by helping them achieve self-sufficiency and self-management. Learn more about the program at https://aging.sc.gov/programs-initiatives/evidence-based-disease-prevention-and-health-promotion-title-iii-d.

Family Caregiver Support: There are more than 770,000 family caregivers offering more than 737 million hours of their time to care for their senior loved ones in South Carolina. The South Carolina Caregiver Support program is committed to assisting caregivers with the necessary training, support, and counseling to help them through their daily tasks and in accessing community resources. Qualifying caregivers also receive small grants to buy respite or supplemental services from the local providers. The Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). The target populations include:

• Unpaid adult caregivers looking after frail or disabled seniors aged 60+.
• Unpaid adult caregivers taking care of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and the related dementias.
• Older grandparents or relative caregivers aged 55+ and are caring for 18-year older kids or younger.
• Grandparents 55+ looking after a disabled senior or an adult 19+

For more details, please visit https://aging.sc.gov/programs-initiatives/family-caregiver-support.

Geriatric Physician Loan Forgiveness: The senior population in South Carolina is huge, yet the state has only a handful of physicians specializing in geriatrics and geriatric psychology. Luckily, there is a Geriatric Physician Loan Forgiveness Program supporting Physicians in the field of geriatrics to practice in the state by helping them clear their medical school loans. So qualified doctors will receive up to $35,000 to repay their student loans in exchange they geriatric medicine in South Carolina. Ever since the program was established, it has given more than $600,00 to 22 geriatric physicians who have supported more than 10,000 senior South Carolinians. Read more about the program at https://aging.sc.gov/programs-initiatives/geriatric-physician-loan-forgiveness.

Financial Assistance

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): TANF focuses on assisting low-income seniors struggling to meet their basic needs through grants and financial support, employment opportunities, job training, and other resources. The goal of the program is to enable the elderly South Carolinians to achieve self-sufficiency. Visit https://dss.sc.gov/assistance-programs/tanf/ for more information.

Healthcare Assistance

Medicare Advantage: Medicare was created to help seniors aged 65+ pay for their medical expenses. Medicare Advantage Plan combines all the benefits of Medicare Parts A and B into a single plan offered by private providers, who can decide to provide more insurance benefits. The Medicare Advantage plans can include dental care, vision, and prescription assistance. All these benefits are not included in the Original Medicare. Unless one opts for a zero-premium plan, they will pay Medicare Part B and Advantage plan premiums. About 35% of South Carolina Medicare program participants are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. Please visit https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare for more details about the program.

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP): The purpose of SHIP is to offer free counseling services and assistance to Medicare program participants on the available Medicare plans and help them in making the right choice based on their individual needs and circumstances. SHIP operates through certified counselors who answer any questions related to Medicare and support seniors in opting for the right Medicare Plan – Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage (Part C, and Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D). They also educate seniors and their caregivers on programs designed to help low-income elderly South Carolinians pay for their health care, including Medicaid, Medicare Savings Program, and the Low-Income Subsidy. For more details about the program, please visit https://aging.sc.gov/programs-initiatives/medicare-and-medicare-fraud.

Medicare Savings Program: The purpose of this program is to help seniors pay for Medicare premiums, coinsurance, deductibles, and prescription drugs. The program is suitable for any elderly South Carolinian struggling to pay their Medicare insurance premiums and expenses related to their prescription medications. Who is eligible for the program support? Seniors applying for the Medicare Savings program must meet the following requirements:

• Must be a resident of South Carolina.
• Must meet the low-income and asset limits.
• Must be at least 65 years old.
• Must be receiving Social Security Disability benefits.
• Be disabled or have an end-stage renal infection.

Visit https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/help/medicare-savings-programs for more information.

South Carolina Medicaid: South Carolina Medicaid for the elderly helps seniors 65+ pay their health care expenses through different insurance plans that they have to choose from depending on their needs and circumstances. Visit https://www.scdhhs.gov/site-page/medicaid for more information.

Housing Assistance

HUD provides housing support to seniors through Public Housing and Housing Choice Voucher Programs. These programs subsidize rental payments of the elderly, allowing them to only contribute up to 30% of their income as the government settles the rest of the arrears. Visit https://www.hud.gov/states/south_carolina/homeownership/seniors for more information.

USDA’s Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants program provides elderly South Carolinians with grants to make the necessary improvements to their homes. The program provides up to $10,000 in grants, and the goal is to help senior homeowners remove health and safety hazards from their homes. These funds are not repaid unless the senior homeowner changes the ownership of the property within three years of receiving the money. To qualify for home repair assistance, seniors must be homeowners and occupy the home, meet low-income limits, and demonstrate the inability to access credits from other sources. For more details, please visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants/sc.

Food Assistance

South Carolina has a nutrition services program dedicated to offering elderly residents meals, nutrition education, and socialization opportunities. The nutrition services are available in a variety of settings, including senior centers, meal sites, and at home for the elderly who are home-bound. The goal of the program is to help seniors stay safe and remain as independent as possible in their homes. The program also offers tools to help eligible older adults make well-informed decisions about matters affecting their health and wellness. The Older Americans Act (OAA) and the State Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) fund the nutrition programs that the South Carolina Department o Aging administers. The programs aim to:

• Reduce malnutrition and hunger among low-income seniors.
• Provide socialization opportunities to older adults.
• Promote health and wellbeing of senior South Carolinians through nutrition and health services.

The programs provide group dining, home-delivered meal, nutrition counseling, and referral services to achieve these goals.

Group Dining Programs: The purpose of group dining programs is to serve seniors healthy meals and offer socialization opportunities, information on healthy aging, and other support services. The programs are available at various nutrition sites and senior centers across the state. To qualify for the assistance, one must attain the age of at least 60. Other eligible persons are volunteers who offer services during meal times, spouses that provide company to the elderly, and a person with a disability living with a qualified older adult.

Home-Delivered Meals: The goal of this program is to offer nutritious meals and nutrition education to eligible home-bound seniors. Eligibility requirements include:

• Home-bound seniors 60+ who can’t move around because of disability or certain illnesses.
• People with disability living with a program participant.
• Spouses and caregivers of the program participants.

Information is available at https://aging.sc.gov/nutrition.

Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): SNAP helps seniors buy nutritious foods their body needs to achieve healthy aging. SNAP benefits are put in Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, which older adults can use to purchase food items from participating vendors, farmers’ markets, and grocery stores. These benefits cannot be used to acquire alcoholic beverages or cigarettes. To qualify for assistance, one must meet the low-income limits in South Carolina, and meet residency, and citizenship requirements. For more details, please visit https://dss.sc.gov/assistance-programs/snap/.

Legal Assistance for Seniors

The Department of Aging provides legal support to senior South Carolinians through Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) who offer legal support through advisory services and advocacy. The agencies offer legal assistance to seniors aged 60+ who are in greater social or economic need. The focus is on seniors living in rural settings, who meet low-income limits and have limited English proficiency. The South Carolina Department of Aging collaborates with the Access to Justice Commission, SC Legal Services, and other organizations working to provide seniors with legal advocacy. Read more about the program at https://aging.sc.gov/programs-initiatives/legal-assistance-seniors.

Help Paying Bills

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): LIHEAP provides low-income senior homeowners with financial support through grants to pay their home energy bills; heating and cooling costs. The Emergency Assistance Program (ECAP) is for heating and cooling support. Through this program, seniors acquire a replacement or repair of defective heating or cooling equipment. Low-Income Weatherization Assistance (WAP) helps the elderly South Carolinians improve their home energy efficiency by making the necessary repairs and installing failed systems. To b eligible for LIHEAP, one must provide proof of financial assistance needed to pay for energy costs and meet South Carolina residency requirements. Participants of TANF, SSI, and SNAP automatically qualify for the assistance. For more details, please visit https://www.benefits.gov/benefit/1548.

Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP): LIHWAP offers financial assistance through grants to help seniors clear bills for safe drinking water and wastewater. It is important to note that the program does not offer direct grants to seniors and does not charge any fee to assist with water bills. LIHWAP distributes assistance funds to the local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) who then provide support to the eligible seniors. More information is available at https://oeo.sc.gov/lihwap.html.

Transportation Assistance

Medicaid Transportation South Carolina offers transportation assistance to Medicaid program beneficiaries to help them get doctors’ appointments, x-rays, dialysis, lab work, pick prescription drugs, and other medical appointments. Find out more at https://www.scdhhs.gov/site-page/transportation-beneficiary-information.

Senior Express Transportation Services offers personal driving services to senior South Carolinians regularly or as needed by the applicant to the grocery stores, shopping centers, medical appointments, dialysis treatment, and church functions, among others. Read more at https://www.getcaresc.com/provider/senior-express-transportation-services.

Assistance for Senior Veterans

South Carolina Veterans Benefits: The Veterans Administration Aid and Attendance Pension program helps senior veterans receive support with daily tasks. Eligible elderly veterans and their spouses can qualify for these services, including bathing, grooming, eating, transportation, and medication management, among others. Senior veterans may use the funds to settle expenses related to home care, nursing home care, and assisted living. More details are available at https://www.veteranaid.org/veterans-benefits-south-carolina/.

Assistance from Charities and Nonprofits

EnergyShare provides support to low-income seniors and disabled customers with natural gas and electric services. Dominion Energy South Carolina administers the program through the local Community Action Agencies. Read more about the program at https://www.dominionenergy.com/south-carolina/billing/billing-options-and-assistance.

Duke’s Fan-Heat Relief program provides support to eligible older adults at risk of developing infection due to too much heat. The program is only available in the summer. Visit https://www.duke-energy.com/community/customer-assistance-programs/fan-heat-relief for more details.

Central Carolina Community Foundation financial assistance to low-income older adults through grants. The organization’s service areas include Lee, Lexington, Richland, Clarendon, Saluda, Orangeburg, Newberry, Kershaw, Fairfield, Calhoun, and Sumter. The foundation does not offer direct grants to eligible seniors. The funds are directed to qualified organizations, who then distribute them to needy older adults. More information is available at https://www.yourfoundation.org/grants-scholarships/grant-opportunities/.