Guardianship

Guardianship is a legal method used to protect a person's well-being when he or she cannot protect themselves. A guardian is a court-appointed person or entity that makes decisions on behalf of a person with diminished capacity.” Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.

A patient may only need help with certain types of decisions or activities, so s/he may not need a court-appointed guardian. For example, a patient may not be able to manage money, so a power of attorney limited to financial matters may be helpful.  For certain types of government benefits, a trusted family member/friend can be appointed as representative payee to manage the money for the patient.  Some patients may only need to designate someone through a durable power of attorney for health care to make decisions about health care if the patient becomes unable to do so for his/herself.

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