For the second consecutive year, South Carolina seniors say the need for more watchdogs in the state’s long-term care facilities remains their top concern.

Ombudsmen are supposed to conduct inspections and investigate complaints against staff in nursing homes and other institutions. However, the number of ombudsmen is painfully low in comparison to the number of facilities that require inspections, seniors say.

Increasing their ranks emerged as the top issue facing seniors after three days of debate by the Silver Haired Legislature.

Three of the top five issues identified this year by the seniors group involve safety from potentially abusive caregivers.

Transportation — an affordable means of getting to and from doctor’s appointments, the grocery store and other errands — and more in-home and community-based services rounded out the top five.

The Silver Haired Legislature was created by the General Assembly in 1999 to gather seniors’ concerns statewide and boil them down into a workable agenda, much as the General Assembly does.

That agenda is then presented to Gov. Mark Sanford and the Legislature.

This year, their proposals also will go to Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, who now oversees the state Office on Aging.

The Silver Haired Legislature began the year with 42 proposals from across the state, before narrowing down the list to 12.

The top five are:

• Increase the number of ombudsmen — The Silver Haired Legislature reported 5,000 abuse complaints in 2003 against long-term care providers.

• Criminal background checks for in-home and adult day care providers — For seniors who want to stay at home as long as possible as they age, the group says too many cases of abuse and criminal behavior by providers occur.

• Transportation for an affordable fee — This proposal asks the General Assembly to fund affordable transportation for all seniors, which is a key to long-term independence, whether or not they are Medicaid recipients.

• Increase in funding for abused seniors — The Silver Haired Legislature contends that funding for such necessities as medicine, food, shelter and supplies is inadequate to support the protective environments needed by senior victims of abuse and neglect.

• In-home and community-based services — Services such as Meals-on-Wheels and others designed to entertain and occupy seniors who choose to stay at home rather than go into an institution cost taxpayers less, the group said.

Reach Burris at (803) 771-8398 or rburris@thestate.com.