Guardianship System Needs Fixing, Report Concludes

The Senate Special Committee on Aging hold's annual hearings on the nation's guardianship system in July. The special Committee will then issue a report around September.

In 2018 testimony centered around the how state systems can be improved to better protect individuals subject to these and similar arrangements from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The bipartisan report addresses three key areas – the importance of guardianship oversight, alternatives to guardianship, and the need for improved data – and makes 13 recommendations.

The resulting report, "Ensuring Trust," concludes that the current guardianship system is fragmented, inconsistent and lacks even the basic information required for effective oversight.

To download a copy of the Senate Special Committee Report report in PDF format, go to: https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Guardianship_Report_2018_gloss_compress.pdf (If you do not have the free PDF reader installed on your computer, download it here.)

At Caslin & Cecil we work with local families and encourage less restrictive alternatives including durable powers of attorney including voluntary petitions for limited guardianship and/or limited conservatorship, and supported decision making court orders. If you are interested, please call us at (270) 684-8400 for an appointment.