COLUMBIA --- Only 20 companies have signed up for a South Carolina program that verifies businesses to help protect the elderly from fraud, and a spokesman for the lieutenant governor blames the economy.

Frank Adams, a spokesman for Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, said that despite the lack of support for Silver Shield, Mr. Bauer will continue the nonprofit program and eventually pay back the $85,000 received from the state Office on Aging, The Greenville News reported Sunday.

"It has occurred in the middle of a fairly significant economic situation for the country," Mr. Adams said. "There are companies that don't want to put out the least bit of money on anything, apparently."

Two Upstate hospitals have given most of the donations to Senior Shield outside the Office on Aging funds, records show.

Greenville Hospital System gave $5,000 and Spartanburg Regional donated $25,000, according to a March finance report posted on the Office of Aging Web site.

Former Rep. Bob Leach of Greer, chairman of the board overseeing Senior Shield, said the board hasn't met in months though he intends to have a meeting soon.

He said solicitation of new businesses is "probably not going that well."

"No, we haven't paid the lieutenant governor back, but we certainly plan on doing it," he said. "We're going to redouble our efforts on this. I want to pick up the pieces and try and put them together and I think it will be successful."

Mr. Adams said in addition to the economy, he believes some businesses might not ask to be checked out of fear they couldn't pass, though he said no business has yet been rejected.

"Given the few that we've had, I think the ones that are most likely to pass are the ones that are going to most quickly embrace this," he said.

"I think there are some people who might not be happy to let it be known that they couldn't pass. But I think most of the thing is getting the word out. I think the demand is there. It's just they have yet to learn this is a way they can solve some of those problems."

Mr. Adams said the idea of background checks for those providing services at home to seniors is gaining ground nationally as more health care services are moved from facilities to homes.

He said it costs nothing to maintain the database, so officials are prepared to wait out the economy and continue to search for willing businesses.

He said some potential "major announcements" could occur in coming months.