New elderly director finds work heartwarming, fulfilling
Appreciates and respects elderly
Staff reporter
God.
Family.
Work.
That is the order of Jayne Gottschalk's life, the director of Marion County Department for Elderly.
Gottschalk decided to move closer to her daughter, Kimberly, as she prepared for the birth of her first child, and Gottschalk's first grandchild, Aug. 28.
"I want to be a 'hands on' grandma," Gottschalk said with a smile.
The grandma-to-be moved to Lehigh in March, just a few miles from Kimberly in Galva.
Why Lehigh?
"I found a nice house to rent and just love living in the rural community," Gottschalk said.
After living in Wichita for 16 years, working for retail and service businesses, moving to the rural Marion County community has been a pleasant change for her and a chance to return to her childhood roots.
She saw the advertisement in the newspaper for the director's job and applied.
"I didn't want 'just' a job," Gottschalk explained. "I want a career and I want to do something I'll enjoy."
Working with the elderly is a joy for Gottschalk because it reminds her of her formative years in Geneseo.
The daughter of a retail store owner in the small town, Gottschalk was taught to respect and appreciate the elderly, and how to treat customers or, in this case, clients.
"The elderly are so knowledgeable and have so many interesting experiences," she said.
One to follow her heart, Gottschalk also listens and talks with her heart — a servant's heart.
For her, this is more than a job.
"I'm here to listen to the needs and concerns of the elderly of Marion County," Gottschalk said and to locate the resources necessary to fulfill those needs.
The elderly department assists with nearly every faction of the senior citizen's life which includes assistance with income tax returns, answering Medicare questions, and assisting with a weatherization program, to name a few.
"I had an elderly man come in the other day who needed help with his driver's license renewal test," Gottschalk said.
Without her help, he probably wouldn't have been able to take the test, she said.
Having been on the job for two months, Gottschalk knows she has some big shoes to fill.
Former director Noreen Weems had been with the department for 27 years before she retired in May.
"I have stepped into a position that had a leader who had many years of knowledge," Gottschalk said. She said the "fog is starting to lift" and she doesn't feel as overwhelmed with the enormous responsibility of her job.
"Every week it gets a little clearer about the big picture," she said. "I've always loved a challenge."
Gottschalk's motto is "If it's not broke, don't fix it," so she's in no hurry to make changes.
She plans to visit the centers around the county on a regular basis, and participate in the monthly senior citizens county board meeting.
Gottschalk wants to learn as much as she can of new tools available and the best ways to assist her clients.
Besides a daughter in Galva, Gottschalk has a son, Cole, in Wichita, and a son, Tyler, in Manhattan.
"I am so blessed to be given this opportunity to work with senior citizens," she said. "This is where God wants me to be. I'm meant to be here."
