Aging and Disability Resource Center announces new dementia care specialist

By Kim McDarison

After serving for five years with the the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of Jefferson County, three of them as the dementia care specialist, Heather Janes will be leaving the organization on Jan. 3. 

Stepping into the role is Tonya Runyard, a longtime resident of Jefferson County who has been employed with the ADRC since 2011. 

In a recent interview, Janes talked about her time spent in Jefferson County. 

About Janes 

When she was offered the position of dementia care specialist with ADRC, she said, she knew she would be a good fit. 

“I have a personal history with dementia from a young age and my grandmother passed away of Lewy Body Dementia. I have always worked with individuals with varying forms of dementia in a variety of locations, working in nursing homes, assisted livings, sheltered workshops, and volunteering in a variety of capacities,” she said. 

Janes grew up in Kenosha and has lived in Fort Atkinson for 10 years. She holds a bachelors of science degree in psychology and human services from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. 

She will be starting a new job in February at a memory center in Pierre, South Dakota. Her new duties will include performing diagnostic testing for individuals who believe they may have dementia or have been diagnosed, looking to see how the disease has progressed. 

Additionally, she said, she will provide education and support to caregivers and the community. 

“I hope to be able to provide dementia friendly business training and support the local tribes with dementia support,” Janes noted.  

Looking back at her work with the ADRC in Jefferson County, she said: “I will miss the wonderful people I have worked with over the past three years — my colleagues, people living with dementia, caregivers, community partners, and everyone else who doesn’t fall in these categories. It has truly been a joy watching the growth of caregivers over the past few years through a variety of programs.” 

Looking at challenges facing the ADRC of Jefferson County and the country, she said: “Our baby boomers are aging rapidly and our aging services will be needed at higher levels than ever before, including those for dementia and caregivers. The ADRC of Jefferson County has quality staff ready for the job.” 

In South Dakota, she said, she believes she will face similar challenges. 

Still, she said, while the area in which she will provide services in her new role is more rural that Wisconsin, and therefore, has fewer services, there is also an opportunity for growth. 

“There will be more opportunities to think outside of the box for support for those aging, living with dementia, and those who are providing care,” Janes added. 

Among takeaways from her time in Jefferson County, Janes said: “The biggest thing I learned from my caregivers is that they feel alone. They feel like they are the only one ‘doing it all’ or that ‘no one notices’ or that they aren’t appreciated. This is one of the hardest jobs that anyone will ever do throughout a dementia journey. Each day is different and sometimes there are good moments and not so good moments, and through it all our caregivers continue to keep going. When I can connect a caregiver with another through a book club or support group or class, caregivers don’t feel so alone, and I think that is one of the biggest things I will carry with me, is to help people ‘normalize’ this disease and their caregiving experience.” 

Janes said she will leave the ADRC of Jefferson County in capable hands. 

“Our new dementia care specialist, Tonya Runyard, is excited about the position and has her own work and personal experience which will make her strong in her quality of care that she provides,” Janes noted. 

She added: “Tonya and I have worked closely over the past couple of years on crisis planning for people living with dementia. During those years, Tonya has received many of the emails I share with education and training opportunities to help her stay connected with what is happening in the field. When Tonya showed interest in the position, she was able to shadow a support group and start learning about my position. Tonya and I have been working diligently over the past couple of weeks to teach her everything she needs to know. Once officially in the role, Tonya will also go through more training through the Department of Health Services, receive a dementia care specialist mentor, train on evidence-based programs, and learn more about the roles and responsibilities of the ADRC.”

Janes encouraged those providing care to someone living with dementia to reach out to the dementia care specialist. 

“Don’t wait. Caregivers always say: ‘I wish I would have called years ago.’  The dementia care specialist can help you learn tips on how to communicate best with the person living with dementia, provide ideas on how to help with restlessness in the evenings (and) nights, find ways to help you find a break during the day: respite, in-home health, volunteers, etc., help you with wandering concerns, reduce caregiver stress and burnout, provide activities and structure, provide disease education, community trainings, business trainings, and so forth,” Janes said. 

About Runyard

Eager to engage with the community in her new role as demential care specialist at ADRC of Jefferson County, Runyand said: “I have always been passionate about helping people, and animals for that matter. Ever since I can recall, it’s been my goal to make people feel valued and appreciated.” 

Born in Kentucky, and moving with her family to Palymra, where, she said, she spent many of her formative years, Runyard, today, lives in Helenville. She holds a degree in psychology earned from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1995, and a degree in social work, earned from UW-Whitewater in 2019.   

Looking ahead to programming opportunities at ADRC, she said: “I will be stepping into Heather’s shoes and keeping most of the programming that has been offered through our ADRC. I will be looking into other programs as well once I am fully trained in the position to see what fits for the community. There is a lot of training through the state that I will be needing to complete before I can dive into all of the programs that are available. This program is ever-changing as well and my goal is to keep the community updated and bring new activities to the forefront.” 

To her new role, Runyard said, she brings a listening ear, patience, calming demeanor and creativity, as well as a passion to help people find the best ways to access assistance in the moments when they need it most. 

Looking at the challenges ahead, she said: “I feel that the largest challenges are the growing population that is in need of our services, especially with the baby boomers living longer and the shortage of health care workers to fill the needs they may have,” and most rewarding, she said, are the smiles on people’s faces and her own sense of knowing that she was able to provide help.  

In the future, she said, she sees the program evolving, and she hopes one day there will be resources to acquire another dementia care specialist or an assistant.  

“I don’t feel that funding will be a hurdle for our agency for this profession,” she said. 

The programs that the ADRC of Jefferson County provides are well used, she said, adding that last year, the organization had 584 face-to-face contacts. That number has been steadily growing since Janes stepped into the position three years ago, Runyard said. 

Runyard said she hopes members of the community in need of services or curious about services offered will reach out to her with questions or even just to say hello. 

“I strive to be approachable,” she said. 

Those interested in talking with Runyard are encouraged to contact her through email: tonyar@jeffersoncountywi.gov or by phone: 920-675-4035.