SC ranked second-worst for elder-abuse protections

A new WalletHub analysis just confirmed what too many South Carolina families already know: our state is failing older adults. South Carolina ranked second-worst in the nation for elder-abuse protections in 2025 — a staggering indictment of how little we invest in preventing abuse, neglect, and exploitation of our seniors. For years, the Palmetto State has hovered near the bottom of national rankings, but this latest drop shows things are not improving. They’re getting worse.

The numbers speak for themselves. South Carolina sits 49th in the country for elder-abuse, neglect, and exploitation complaints — a sign not of safety, but of underreporting and a system that makes it difficult for seniors or their families to speak up. We’re 45th in state spending aimed at preventing elder abuse. 42nd in the number of available elder-care organizations. And our long-term care facilities rank just 35th for quality. Taken together, these failures paint a bleak picture: seniors in South Carolina have fewer protections, fewer resources, and fewer places to turn when something goes wrong.

This isn’t an abstract policy issue. It shows up in real cases every single day — residents left in their own waste for hours because there aren’t enough caregivers, preventable falls and injuries that no one documents, medication errors that go unreported, and vulnerable older adults who simply disappear into a system that is not built to protect them. When a state ranks this low for oversight and prevention, bad actors operate freely, facilities cut corners, and abuse goes undetected until it’s catastrophic.

Contrast this with states like Wisconsin or Massachusetts — places that invest heavily in prevention, fund robust ombudsman programs, and make reporting easy and accessible. Those states treat elder protection as a priority. South Carolina treats it like an afterthought.

If South Carolina wants to climb out of the basement, it’s going to take real commitment: more funding for prevention and protective services, stronger oversight of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, more community-based organizations supporting seniors, and easier, faster reporting mechanisms when something goes wrong. Until that happens, older South Carolinians will continue to live at risk — and families will continue to learn too late that the systems meant to protect them simply aren’t there.

This ranking isn’t just embarrassing. It’s dangerous. And unless lawmakers take it seriously, the state’s most vulnerable residents will keep paying the price.