Statewide Palliative Care Report Released by Study Committee
The South Carolina Palliative Care and Quality of Life Study Committee, created by joint resolution H. 4935 in 2018, recently released its report on the current status of palliative care in the state today and gave recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly. It is currently available at aging.sc.gov.
The report finds it difficult to quantify the ongoing burden of serious illness in South Carolina, but that more than half of all deaths in 2018 would have been eligible for palliative care and that more than 300,000 South Carolinians served as caregivers just for individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia alone.
The report also finds that there is a clear demand for more palliative care programs and outlines a series of opportunities for enhancing palliative care access in South Carolina, including in the areas of education and awareness, technology, workforce, policy, payment strategies and quality.
“This is a very important first step in identifying where the needs are for palliative care and hospice in South Carolina,” says Marisette Hasan, CEO & President of The Carolinas Center.
“The next step is to establish a statewide palliative care advisory council. We look forward to Senator Brad Hutto and others leading this effort.”
To read the full study, click here.