Letter: More money needed for respite vouchers

Respite services support the health and well-being of family caregivers of persons with dementia or other debilitating conditions by providing access to short-term respite through in-home care, adult day care or short-term facility stays.

According to the 2014 "Long-Term and Care Service and Support Scorecard," our state ranks 34th in the nation in support for family caregivers, meaning 33 other states do better than South Carolina to help family members who care for their loved ones.

Please tell your state legislators that you want them to continue to support funding for vouchers that will ease the mental, physical and emotional stress that family caregivers face each day in an effort to keep their loved ones at home. It's good for everyone and it's good for South Carolina. By assisting seniors who want to remain independent and at home, family caregivers are delaying the need for institutional care, a more expensive health care delivery system.

Also, do not forget to thank your legislators for the $1 million that they appropriated for this cause earlier this year, but let them know that you will be forever vigilant.

Katherine Garlock

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 8:34 PM with the headline "Letter: More money needed for respite vouchers."