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Report: The Growing Burden of Alzheimer's Disease

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One out of every nine people over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease.

In Wisconsin, that adds up to 120,000 individuals, and more than a thousand of those people live in Oneida County.

The newest report from the Alzheimer’s Association shows the number of people living with Alzheimer’s disease steadily increasing.

Julie St. Pierre, a community outreach specialist with the association, said that’s because a major chunk of our population is aging.

“The baby boom generation actually started reaching the age of 65 and age is the primary risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.

As more people exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, the healthcare industry can’t always keep up.

That includes here in the Northwoods, St. Pierre said.

“Definitely receiving services in Northern Wisconsin can be a bit of a challenge. I think that we have a lot of great services in the community,” she said. “However, due to the large number of individuals who are in need of those services, sometimes the demand actually exceeds the capacity.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, most people with Alzheimer’s disease are cared for by family members or neighbors.

In fact, 196,000 Wisconsinites serve as unpaid family care givers to someone with the disease.

If enough of those people needed additional care, St. Pierre said that could prove challenging to our community.

“There’s a limited number of nursing homes in the Northwoods and there’s an even more limited number of nursing homes that provide dementia specific care,” she said. “So if those individuals were not able to be at home and supported by family and friends, it would present an even more significant burden on our healthcare systems.”

St. Pierre said the Alzheimer’s Association has many programs and services available to educate and help those dealing with Alzheimer’s disease.

Erin Gottsacker worked at WXPR as a Morning Edition host and reporter from December 2020 to January 2023. During her time at the station, Erin reported on the issues that matter most in the Northwoods.
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