What are the alternatives to guardianship?
Guardianship is a drastic measure, by which clients lost all or some of their decision-making ability. Not every adult needs a guardianship or even a limited guardianship, and guardianships can only be established when the person lacks capacity, as described above. If the only issue for a client is financial management, a representative payee for Social Security benefits may be all that is needed. If the issue is medical decision making, this could be addressed by ensuring that closely related family members are available to provide informed consent for treatment of medical emergencies. Other support needs may be satisfied by proper case management including providing eligible services or day programs.
