Guardianship Services

When a person no longer has the capacity to make personal and/or care decisions and they do not have a family member or significant other who is able/willing to be a guardian, a professional or corporate guardian, such as Guardian Advocate Services, LLC, may be appointed by the Court to serve in that role. As guardian, we advocate for and help the incapacitated person (often called a ward or protected person) to make their own decisions (if possible). Or, we make decisions on the ward’s behalf, if/when appropriate. Above all, we take action (24/7) to ensure the safety of the (now) protected person.

Healthcare Power of Attorney Services

 A healthcare power of attorney (or medical directive) is an agent that can make health-related decisions on behalf of another person should that person become incapacitated (or prior to incapacity in certain situations). However, the person appointing the healthcare agent must possess capacity at the time they are signing the document (otherwise the document may be invalid). When there is not a family member or significant other to act as a healthcare agent, we may serve in that capacity so that a trusted party is available to help with healthcare decisions at the necessary time.

Care Management

It may be that your loved one does not need a guardian because they still possess decision-making capacity. Still, you may have concerns about a possible decline in health, abilities and/or safety. Or you may simply feel that some degree of assistance is needed. Should this be your situation, the services of a care manager may be very helpful. 

At its core, care management is a highly personalized service intended to maximize the vulnerable adult’s independence, quality of life, and safety. Care management professionals are proficient at cutting through the red tape of the healthcare and service systems and obtaining/coordinating/managing all of your loved one’s needs; pulling it altogether, so to speak. The service is often especially beneficial for elderly persons with adult children who live far away--or even those that live nearby--but simply lack the time and/or the expertise to manage the care needs of a parent. Families have described our services as their “boots on the ground” when, for whatever reason, they were unable to attend to their loved one’s needs.

Just as a general contractor hires, supervises, and coordinates the builders, plumbers, and electricians when building a house--a care manager hires, supervises, and coordinates any care services, home maintenance services, or other assistance, as directed by the client or family. By retaining a care manager, you hire one (versus multiple) service(s). Or, care management services (alone) may be all that is needed. Every client situation is different. Specific. Unique. 

Basic Assessments / Consulting / Care-Planning

We often get calls from concerned family members or Trust Officers about how an older or vulnerable person is “really” functioning in their environment on a day-to-day basis. Callers often question whether the individual (of concern) is safe and/or whether they are able to meet their own daily needs, the answers to which are not generally  obvious or clear. To make the situation even less clear, a vulnerable person’s coping or compensatory skills can help hide (as they intend) the deficits or problems that they are experiencing. 

Having decades of experience in working with individuals with cognitive, mental health, functional, and/or physical deficits, we can help answer the questions, clarify the issues, and unravel the mystery. Additionally, we can set up a plan of care (and implement, if desired), either in the individual’s current environment or in a setting that is more appropriate for their level of need. Our goals are to ensure the safety and maximize the independence of the vulnerable individual, and reduce the worry and concern of the family member or Trust Officer.