GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) — Monday is World Alzheimer’s Day, a worldwide effort to increase awareness and fight the stigma surrounding the illness.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that afflicts more than 55 million people around the globe.
Wisconsin numbers
The Alzheimer’s Association Wisconsin Chapter says more than 110,000 people in the state are living with the disease.
In Wisconsin, 206,000 caregivers dedicate 322 million hours of unpaid care annually, according to the association.
Risk factors and symptoms
Officials say the chances of getting Alzheimer’s increase as a person gets older. Most patients are at least 65 years old. However, some people under that age can get what is called “early-onset Alzheimer’s.”…