COLUMBUS, Ohio—The State of Ohio is on the precipice of a major problem.

That’s why Senator Steve Wilson (R-Maineville) is pushing for a new statewide Alzheimer’s task force.

• Accordig to the U.S. Census, around 16% of Ohio's 11 million residents are over 65
• Ohio is the only state in the nation that doesn't have a plan for Alzheimer's
• Senate Bill 24 would establish a State Alzheimer's and Dementias Task Force

“We need one because it’s a runaway train coming down the track,” said Wilson.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the disease is the most common form of Dementia. It robs you of memories and cognitive abilities which can interfere with your everyday life.

“The State of Ohio is the only state in the nation that doesn’t have a plan for Alzheimer’s and Dementia-related diseases,” said Wilson.

That’s why Wilson is spearheading Senate Bill 24, which would establish an Alzheimer’s and Dementias Task Force.

If the bill is passed, the governor would appoint 28 people to the task force, who are all experts in their field.

That includes representatives from nursing homes, someone who helps with Medicare providers, somebody who is a physician who specialized in Alzheimer’s, and someone from Medicaid.

“I hope that they find the path that we should be following for prevention, the path we should be following for a cure,” said Wilson.

For Wilson, Alzheimer’s is a disease that hits close to home.

“I remember one of my friends told me when his wife died, and I was at the funeral, at the visitation, and he said, ‘Steve, I lost my wife twice. I lost her when she didn’t know me anymore, and I lost her when she died’” said Wilson.

The bill is showing strong bipartisan support from both chambers, including Representative Tavia Galonski (D-Akron), who is also personally affected by the grips of the disease.

“Unfortunately, my own mother was working on her eighth book when she needed to be placed in a nursing home, so I’m familiar with Dementia and issues similar to Alzheimer’s and all I’ll say is that it’s time we look for a cure, it’s time to do more than what we’re currently doing for memory care, and so certainly, the Alzheimer’s task force is something that’s needed for Ohio,” said Galonski.

Wilson says the task force will be charged with creating a report that outlines the best practices to tackle this looming problem.

He says it won’t end up costing much either, since all positions on the task force are volunteer.

The bill is expected to be up for a vote later this week.