Alzheimer’s - South Carolina Alzheimer’s Network (SCAN)

Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer’s, Dementia & Memory Disorders

The South Carolina Alzheimer’s Network (SCAN) is a multi-site, multidisciplinary clinical program for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders. SCAN provides patients with access to an early and accurate diagnosis, care navigation, and treatment with the new Alzheimer’s disease infusion medications. SCAN also supports primary care providers and specialists throughout the state through eConsults and longitudinal co-management of patients. Through SCAN, MUSC became the only health system in South Carolina to be selected to participate in Medicare’s model, Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE). The SCAN team recognizes the challenges associated with memory issues and aims to provide individualized care for each patient.

SCAN is designed and committed to ensure that patients have access to:

Early and accurate diagnosis.
Coordinated lifelong care plans reflecting co-management by primary care and cognitive specialists.
Disease education, counseling, resources, and caregiver support from a dementia care navigator.
New anti-amyloid medications which are prescribed safely to appropriate patients.
Clinical trials and research protocols through the proposed South Carolina Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC).

Understanding Alzheimer’s

What Is Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder and the most common cause of dementia. Changes in the brain interfere with communication between nerve cells, gradually affecting memory, thinking, and behavior.

Not all memory problems are caused by Alzheimer’s. Medications, vitamin deficiencies, thyroid conditions, strokes, and other medical issues can also affect memory and thinking. A thorough evaluation is important to determine the cause.

Through the South Carolina Alzheimer’s Network (SCAN), MUSC provides early diagnosis, coordinated care, advanced treatment options, and support for patients and families.

Patient Care

What to Expect:
SCAN consists of a two-part evaluation that includes an initial consult visit and a results visit.

Initial Consult Visit:
This includes a meeting with the SCAN Psychometrist to evaluate your cognitive status. You will also meet with a SCAN Advanced Practice Provider who will assess your medical history and physical abilities and provide a plan for further diagnostic workup. Additionally, you will meet with a SCAN Dementia Care Navigator to discuss care partner concerns. We recommend a good night's sleep because this initial consultation typically lasts three to four hours and provides the foundation for the care plan moving forward. A results visit will be scheduled after any additional testing is completed.

Results Visit:
During this appointment, patients and their families will meet with a cognitive physician, the advanced practice provider, and a dementia care navigator to discuss the results of any testing and a care plan moving forward. Most patients will return to their referring provider for ongoing care, but more complicated patients may continue in SCAN clinics.

Conditions

Our experts diagnose and treat adults with a variety of memory disorders, including:

Alzheimer’s Disease: A disorder that slowly changes how the brain works, leading to memory loss and challenges with everyday life.
Vascular Dementia: A decline in thinking skills triggered by stroke or inadequate blood flow to the brain.
Cognitive Impairment without Dementia: Slight decline in thinking skills that do not interfere with the ability to complete everyday tasks.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB): Related to Parkinson’s disease, this form of dementia occurs when abnormal protein deposits, known as Lewy bodies, damage brain cells.
Frontotemporal Dementia: A group of disorders caused by nerve cell loss in the front parts of the brain.
Mixed Dementia: Having more than one type of memory disorder, such as Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
Parkinson’s Disease Dementia: Changes in thinking brought on by Parkinson’s disease, a movement disorder.
Huntington’s Disease: Changes to areas of the brain that control thinking, movement, and mood caused by an altered, inherited gene.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: a rare brain disorder that affects movement, thinking, vision, and speech.

Treatments and Therapies

Patients and their families receive a personalized care plan with clear information about their diagnosis and available treatment options.

While there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, treatments can help manage symptoms and, in some cases, slow disease progression. At MUSC Health, we offer the latest anti-amyloid infusion therapies, including donanemab (Kisunla) and lecanemab (Leqembi). These medications are designed to target amyloid proteins in the brain and may slow cognitive decline in people diagnosed in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s.

Treatment plans may also include medications to support memory and thinking, lifestyle recommendations to promote brain health, and counseling and support resources for patients and caregivers.

Resources

Alzheimer’s Association
843-571-2641
800-272-3900 (Helpline)
www.alz.org/sc

Hilarity for Charity (HFC)
www.wearehfc.org

Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD)
www.theaftd.org

Lewy Body Dementia Association
www.lbda.org

Family Caregiver Alliance
www.caregiver.org

Support Groups

Respite Care Charleston: This program offers adult day care, caregiver educational classes, early memory loss skills groups, and caregiver support groups in James Island, Johns Island, North Charleston, West Ashley, and Mount Pleasant.
843-647-7405
www.respitecarecharleston.org

The Ark of Summerville: This program offers adult day care, caregiver educational classes,
early memory loss skills groups, and caregiver support groups in Summerville.
843-471-1360
www.thearkofsc.org

Trident Area Agency on Aging: Provides referrals to local resources such as home care, meal delivery programs, adult day care, legal services, etc. This agency also offers
assessment for programs that provide grants and other financial assistance.
843-554-2275
www.tridentaaa.org

SC Department of Aging:
1-800-868-9095
https://aging.sc.gov/
Dementia Toolkit 2025