S.C. ranks worst in support of elders

South Carolina ranks dead last among all states and the District of Columbia in elder-abuse protections. That’s especially unfortunate for a state that is doing its best to attract retirees to move here.

A study by Wallethub, a personal finance website, rated states on a variety of measures designed to gauge the level of elder-abuse protection in each. South Carolina ranked poorly regarding complaints of abuse, neglect and exploitation among residents 65 and older, money spent on elder-abuse protection, the number of elder-care organizations and services, quality of nursing homes and others.

That appears to be a comprehensive list of services at which a state would need to excel to be able to provide support for its senior population. But officials with the S.C. Lt. Governor’s Office on Aging questioned the legitimacy of the study.

Dale Watson, ombudsman for the Office on Aging, said that one of the primary reasons the number of elder abuse complaints in South Carolina is high is that residents are strongly encouraged to report their complaints. That presumes, of course, that they aren’t encouraged to do so in other states.

The WalletHub study does note that the majority of elder-abuse cases go unreported. Nonetheless, we doubt that even a high level of reporting in South Carolina would account for the entire differential in the quality of elder care compared to other states.

Watson also notes that South Carolina was one of the first states to adopt a wide-sweeping law on adult protection, which addresses elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. The state also has established a cooperative network that includes caregivers and facilities, law enforcement and the Department of Social Services that deals with elder abuse.

Those are commendable steps in the right direction. But they don’t entirely mitigate the findings of this study.

Perhaps if South Carolina had ranked somewhere in the middle of the pack, state officials might legitimately take issue with how the study was conducted. But a ranking of worst in the nation indicates that the problems are more substantial than could be explained away by faulty data.

The number of U.S. adults aged 65 or older is expected to comprise more than a fifth of the nation’s overall population by 2029. With more and more seniors moving to South Carolina to take advantage of the mild climate, reasonable real estate prices, proximity to the ocean and mountains, and relatively low tax rates, the percentage of elderly residents is likely to be considerably higher here.

This age group is particularly susceptible to physical abuse and neglect, and financial exploitation. South Carolina needs to establish a reliable system of reporting abuse and responding to complaints, especially if it continues trying to lure retiring baby-boomers to the state.

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 5:00 PM with the headline "S.C. ranks worst in support of elders."