“Creating Direction: A Guide for Improving Long-Term Care in South Carolina” is the product of a year and a half of work by a statewide taskforce of over 60 providers, researchers and advocates.

The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health (IMPH) convened these stakeholders to study the state’s long-term care system and identify priority areas in need of improvement, particularly in light of the growing older adult population. Chaired by Mr. Joel Smith (the dean emeritus of the USC Moore School of Business and a former president of Bank of America), the taskforce developed 30 actionable recommendations to reshape our current system so that it can better meet the needs of older adults, people with disabilities and family caregivers across the state. The recommendations address critical concerns in six topical areas: promoting efficiencies in the long-term care system, strengthening the current array of service options, preparing an adequate and well trained workforce, protecting vulnerable adults, supporting family caregivers and ensuring that informational/educational resources are available to help individuals make informed choices about their long-term care needs.