Expanding and improving community supportive services for older South Carolinians

This report presents a summary of major dilemmas facing elderly persons in South Carolina and proposed action steps that were identified by state leaders and citizens at "The Thinktime on Expanding and Improving Community Supportive Services for Older South Carolinians." Three main needs were identified for improving and expanding community supportive services for older South Carolinians: One, a well designed, locally controlled demonstration effort is needed to show the benefit of a comprehensive, coordinated community-based system of services designed to assist elderly citizens in acquiring services they need. Two, public agencies in South Carolina receiving human service funds need a mandate to report annually on their community-based services for the elderly, their collaboration practices and their involvement of the elderly in their programs. This would serve as a basis for decisions on renewed or expanded funding. Three, a need exists for a major educational effort designed to assist all South Carolina citizens in understanding the aging process, the dilemmas of the later years of life, and the roles of service systems in aiding South Carolinians to care for themselves in their own communities