Contact: Kari Paterson, (608) 203-8500
kpaterson@alz.org
Madison, WI – February 9, 2017 – The Alzheimer’s Association thanks Governor Scott Walker for including several items in his budget proposal that will help persons with the diagnosis of dementia and their professional and family caregivers. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia today, and that number is expected to triple in coming years. Wisconsin needs to raise awareness about the 6th leading cause of death and start preparing adequate resources to serve this population group. Today, nearly 110,000 people in the Badger state have Alzheimer’s or other dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Association thanks Governor Scott Walker for:
- An appropriation of $50,000 each year of the budget to the University of Wisconsin to further Alzheimer’s disease research efforts
- A 2% increase each year for the Nursing Home reimbursement rate to support the direct care workforce and to acknowledge increased acuity needs of residents
- A 2% increase in the Medicaid Personal Care program, which funds workers to come into the home setting to assist with caregiving tasks
- Four new positions (3 in the first year, one in the second) for the Board on Aging and Long Term Care Ombudsman program
“We appreciate the efforts of Governor Walker to address important needs faced by families and long-term care providers in the care and support of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Alzheimer’s is one of the most challenging diseases of our time and Wisconsin needs to provide high quality care to our most vulnerable population groups- our family members living with dementia,” said Kari Paterson, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association South Central Wisconsin chapter. “Gov. Walker is building on the excellent work begun last session by the Speaker’s Task Force on Alzheimer’s and Dementia, established by Speaker Robin Vos and led by Reps. Mike Rohrkaste and Dianne Hesselbein. We look forward to working with the legislature to pass these and other budget measures into law. The Alzheimer’s Association advocates and wishes to expand additional resources to our local families, including dementia care specialists and more overall awareness about available programs, like ours, in the community. We are pleased to see that more is being done, and steps are being taken, to address this budding aging crisis. Research is the way of the future and the hope our families have in finding some meaningful breakthrough. The Alzheimer’s Association funds research and we are asking Wisconsin to get behind the cause as well before it further depletes precious family resources.”
About the Alzheimer’s Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research whose mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. For more information about Alzheimer’s disease and local services visit www.alz.org/sewi or call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900.
