> Guardian Conservator

A Guardianship is designed to protect and promote the well being of those whose functional limitations prevent them from making their own decisions.

Guardianship is an arrangement resulting from a court proceeding in which a judge or jury decides that a person lacks the legal capacity to manage his or her own affairs and needs a substitute decision maker. A guardian is the person appointed by the court to act on behalf of the incapacitated person. A ward is the incapacitated person for whom a guardian is appointed. A guardian is needed when a person lacks the capacity to make decisions regarding personal of financial matters, and when no other person has been previously authorized by the incapacitated person to manage his or her affairs.

If a guardianship is put into place the ward may lose certain rights, such as the right to vote and the right to marry. Perhaps the most important right that the ward loses is the right to self-determination. In light of these serious losses, guardianship is a drastic action that may be an emotionally painful experience for everyone involved.

The good aspect about guardianships, is that the guardian is responsible for reporting to the court on a regular basis as to the care plans and financial management plans of the ward. Therefore, there is more accountability on the part of the guardian. This accountability does not always exist with an attorney-in-fact.

Washington is one of a very few states that require training and certification in order to be able to serve as a guardian. Janet Drysdale of Drysdale &Associates, Inc. is a Certified Professional Guardian. She has completed 14 hours of advanced guardianship training over and above the amount required by the State of Washington. In addition, she completes over 40 hours a year in continuing education relating to geriatric medicine. This allows her to be on the cutting edge of medical knowledge to make sure that her clients receive the best care possible.