St. George Healthcare Center was largest nursing home in Dorchester County as of Q4 2023

In the fourth quarter of 2023, St. George Healthcare Center stood out as the largest nursing home in Dorchester County, tied with two other nursing homes, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It shared its ranking with Oakbrook Health and Rehabilitation Center and Hallmark Healthcare Center.

Data shows that the nursing center had a total of 88 beds available, 10 more than the average in Dorchester County as of the fourth quarter of 2023. They aided an average of 78.4 residents during that period.

St. George Healthcare Center had an overall rating of 1 from the CMS, which lags behind the average of 2.8 recorded for nursing homes in South Carolina.

As of the fourth quarter of 2023, St. George Healthcare Center has already spent a total of $47,642 in five fines and suffered five penalties.

In total, there were three for-profit nursing homes in Dorchester County, South Carolina.

According to US Census data, in 2020, nearly 1 in 6 Americans were aged 65 years or older. Since 1920, the older population skyrocketed from 4.9 million to 55.8 million, reflecting a growth rate of roughly 1,000%, five times higher than the average growth for the overall U.S. population.

A 2021 study suggests that nearly half of this age group, roughly 28 million individuals, may require long-term services and support. Additionally, the study projects that over a third of them may eventually need nursing home care.

“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an insurance education group. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”