Caregiving

The first regular session of the 122nd South Carolina General Assembly will convene on Tuesday, January 10, 2016. AARP South Carolina is ready to work on behalf of its 615,000 Palmetto state members. Need to find contact information for your House or Senate member? >> Click here

By Linda H. Lamb

The South Carolina Department of Social Services has an Adult Advocacy Division that protects the health and welfare of elderly, disabled, and vulnerable adults. Adult Protective Services (APS) is part of this Division. The Division coordinates services to individuals who are 18 or older and are the victims of actual or potential abuse, neglect, self-neglect or exploitation.

The South Carolina Equipment Distribution Program is a state program administered by the SC Office of Regulatory Staff. Also known as AmplifyLife, the purpose of the program is to assist those who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, blind/low vision with hearing loss, or speech impaired, to better communicate over the telephone by offering telecommunications equipment at no charge. The process is simple: you fill out the one page application, have it signed by a professional certifier, attach a copy of a state issued ID and current phone bill, and send it in! The equipment is shipped to the customer and is loaned to that person for as long as they need it.

On Friday, September 23, AARP South Carolina, the Veteran’s Welcome Home and Resource Center, and and Military Officers Association of American will host the 3rd annual Myrtle Beach Stand Down for Homeless Veterans event from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the U.S. Army Reserve Building, 3392 Phillis Blvd.

The 770,000+ caregivers in South Carolina face many issues as they care for their loved ones. AARP is working to address these issues on several different levels including three caregiving issues at the federal level.

The SC Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Statewide Transition Plan is going through a third public comment period due to changes made in the plan per Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements. The comment period is Aug. 17 - Oct. 7, 2016. A webinar and nine regional public meetings will be held to review the changes made to the plan, which outlines how South Carolina will meet the new standards for waiver services (specifically where services are provided) as required by CMS.

While there are certainly many exceptional opportunities in the role of a volunteer State President with AARP, one that offers a look into the workings of our national congressional leadership is LOBBY DAY on the Hill. This occurs once a year, and is part of a week long AARP Leadership Summit in DC. State Presidents travel with the State Director for this event, and work collaboratively with one another, as well as state staff, to coordinate meeting times individually with our delegation and/or their staff. These visits offer an opportunity to talk about shared issues of AARP, South Carolina, and our congressmen. Our experience ( Teresa Arnold and I just completed our fourth year of Lobby Day!), proves to be of great benefit in establishing more personal contacts with those in decision making positions for not just South Carolina, but all those who are 50+ and their families. Truly a meaningful privilege as a volunteer State President, and South Carolinian!

At a time when our country is extremely polarized, family care giving is a rare issue that unites us. It isn’t a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It’s a family issue that affects us all. If you’re not a caregiver now, you will be one or will need one in the future.

by Coretta Bedsole, AARP SC advocacy director