The County Line: Public administrator takes care of her 'people'

As the Cape Girardeau County Public Administrator, Phyllis Schwab often makes unpopular decisions. But she said that goes with the territory. Her job is caring for people who have been declared mentally incapacitated by the court.

"That is a big responsibility, and you have to be big enough to handle it," she said.

From her office in her house, Schwab makes legal, medical, financial and other important decisions for about 175 people who can no longer look after their own interests. She said there has to be strong evidence, usually a deposition from a doctor, for a person to be declared incapacitated.

She also looks after their personal belongings and estate, including any money they may have.

With such responsibility entrusted to her, Schwab's office is monitored by the courts.

"The person who has this position sits in a precarious position," she said. "You are entrusted with other people's things."

Most of those under Schwab's care are adults, but sometimes she is charged with overseeing a juvenile's estate, as well.

While she can petition to have someone declared incapacitated, it is primarily hospitals, senior services, the state of Missouri and other agencies that do so. Often petitions are made to protect people from abuse, including threats from those around them.

Schwab recognizes she can make family members and others upset with her decisions, but said she is acting in the best interest of those in her care.

"They see me as hard-hearted because I have to make the decisions I make," she said. "They don't understand it."

While they are officially known as wards, Schwab refers to those under her guardianship as her "people."

Wards "to me is a very cold term," she said. "These are people and that is what I call them, my people."

Schwab spends most of her day visiting hospitals, nursing homes, doctors' offices and other facilities, checking on her wards and ensuring they are receiving the best care possible.

Since taking office in 2003, Schwab has become the first in her role to be salaried. Before she took the job, the administrator was paid a fee per case. Schwab said making the position salaried has cut back on fees charged to the county.

Schwabs admits she was a little uneasy about not working in the county administrative building with most of the other officials, but has come to appreciate her home office.

"I am on call 24 hours a day, all the time," she said. "I like have to have access to everything I need, because I do have deaths as well. I want that information so I can contact families, or whatever I need."

As society continues to deal with the long-term effects of drug addiction and an aging population, Schwab anticipates the public administrator will handle a heavier case load in the coming years. Helping meet that need is one of the reasons she ran for the office in 2002. She wanted to give back to her community in a humanitarian role.

"It's a big busy world, and it's sad," she said.

The public administrator's budget from county revenue was $135,239. The office is created under Chapter 473 of Missouri State statute.

cbartholomew@semissourian.com

243-8600