Some say it is the
hardest job in all of Macon County.
Elected in 2004, Lois
Noland is in her twelfth year as Macon County’s Public Administrator. Charged
with taking care of individuals in the county that are not able to make
decisions for themselves, Noland sees the task as a ministry more than a job. “I filed for this position after much prayer and
consideration, and there have been many situations that I’ve just had to turn
over to God.”
Growing up in extreme
Northwest Missouri, Noland’s had experience with many dysfunctional families,
including poverty, mental illness and developmental disabilities to help
prepare her for the job. “The more I work with families the more I
understand we all have members who are stronger and weaker, but everyone I’ve
met has a strength that can be built upon.”
Former Public
Administrator Dick Jones recruited Noland for the position while she served as
the activities director of Macon Health Care. At that job, Noland learned the
challenges of working with the elderly.
“I worried about my
heart, that I’d fall in love with those people and lose bits of it, and I did…In
my first week, a resident had a heart attack in the dining room. We all
rushed in and he died with his head in my lap. I learned so much about life and
death, dementia, depression, mental illness, diabetes and elderly issues that I
assist my clients with still today,” said Noland. “But it is still very
challenging dealing with the emotional attachment to my clients.”
The job takes more
than just a big heart.
Public Administrators
serve in the capacity of a guardian taking the responsibility of the decisions
regarding the person, a conservator taking the responsibility of the decisions
regarding the finances or a personal representative taking responsibility
regarding an estate.
Noland is charged with
tending to a current case load of 76 individuals. “Each year, I provide a
report to the court, accounting for every dollar and cent for the transactions
for every person under my care,” explained Noland.
Public Administrators
are charged with handling paperwork for Medicaid, Medicare, disability,
insurance policies, pre-paid burials, the
Veterans Administration… the list goes on and on. Some estates we deal
with are owned by millionaires,” explained Noland. “The paperwork and
accounting responsibilities are significant.”
“I also oversee my
assistant’s work and handle the monthly financial obligations and life
decisions of dozens of clients with very complicated lives,” added Noland. “I
speak with doctors, lawyers, judges and occasionally call and complain to those
in the state capitol!”
Prior to filing for
office, public administrator candidates in Missouri must be bonded, protecting
taxpayers from potential fraud and abuse by officeholders. Public
administrators have access to all financial information of their clients.
Often, candidates with personal credit issues have trouble getting bonded.
Public administrators
deal with a variety of individuals with a variety of disabilities.
Noland says her
caseload is filled with individuals who have been deemed incapacitated or
disabled. The diagnoses includes borderline personality disorder,
bipolar, paranoid schizophrenia, MRDD, heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Noland’s background in
childcare for 19 years also helped prepared her for the job. “I always taught
kids and their parents about expected behavior. When behavior is not
appropriate there are consequences. The same is true for my clients. When
serving as their guardian/conservator there is accountability,” said Noland.
“Today I’m teaching
clients that their negative behavior will have consequences and that it’s not
always caused by their mental illness - sometimes it’s a choice. By that
same standard, I’m teaching positive actions lead to a less restrictive
environment such as independent living,” added Noland.
“Medication and dietary
compliance are two very important issues that have consequences and oversight
is sometimes necessary for the health of the client.”
A job that comes
with many risks and difficult decisions.
The dangers of the job
of public administrators are growing, as the average age of clients becomes
younger due to substance abuse and other societal problems. “Working with
clients dealing with PTSD or certain drug addictions adds a certain level of
difficulty to the job,” added Noland.
“Finding placement is
an extra challenge that’s increasing every year. For clients with difficult
diagnoses such as PICA, it is extremely difficult. There are no
facilities in this area so you’re seeking placement in St. Louis or Kansas City
and those beds are hard to come by.”
Other tough issues
facing public administrators include end-of life-decisions, guardianship of
minors and lack of funding and health benefits to pay for care.
The next Macon County
Public Administrator will be chosen in August.
The election to
replace Noland as Public Administrator will be decided in the August primary as
no Democrats and four Republicans filed for the position. Candidates include
Johnny Contratto, John Czuba, Craig Fuller and Joe Thomas.
Noland encourages
voters to carefully review candidates’ experiences that fit the task: “Anyone
you know can come under the care of the public administrator,” said Noland.
During Noland’s years
of service, she has served many of the county’s poorest residents, but has also
served as the guardian of a retired MU Professor, an electrical engineer, a
retired medical doctor and retired teachers. “Sometimes there is no family to
serve as the guardian/conservator and then sometimes there is a wonderful family
but for one reason or the other they are not the best choice to make the tough
decisions that need to be made,” explained Noland.
“We should look for
candidates that have not only a big heart, but also the maturity and experience
to deal with the paperwork and integrity to protect the clients and the
office.”
Noland added that she
looks forward to working with the next public administrator to ensure the
clients she has befriended over the years have their needs met.
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Lois, I am proud of you and know that you will be missed. God bless you
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