Dementia and Alzheimer disease is the 6th leading cause of death in Wisconsin, claiming over 1,800 lives in 2014. As Wisconsin’s population ages, that number will only grow. The number of Wisconsinites expected to suffer from some form of dementia is expected to double to over 240,000 by 2040. Given that rapidly growing need, you’d expect the State of Wisconsin to be putting more resources into helping people with dementia, yet Governor Scott Walker’s 2017-2019 budget does exactly the opposite. The governor has proposed eliminating state funding for county-based dementia care specialists across the state. Joining 8 O’Clock Buzz host Brian Standing by phone is Helen Marks Dicks, Associate Director for Advocacy for the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons.