Resources for Conservatorship and Guardianship Abuse Awareness Day | February 1 is Conservatorship and Guardianship Abuse Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness about the potential abuses of power that can occur within the guardianship system. Adult guardianship is an intervention of last resort that can transfer most of an adult’s fundamental rights to another person, a guardian. Courts sometimes appoint guardians to protect adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation when the adult’s decisional capabilities may have been impaired by a disability or illness. In some cases, however, guardians actually become the perpetrators of the very abuse the guardianship was intended to prevent. The recent, high-profile case of Britney Spears has served to focus national attention on this type of abuse of power. However, there are still many other cases, including those involving older adults, which may also require zealous legal advocacy to address abuse within the guardianship system. Legal assistance, elder rights, and aging service professionals can utilize NCLER and partner resources to learn more about guardianship abuse, how to spot it, how to avoid unnecessary guardianships in the first place, and how to terminate abusive or unnecessary guardianships as soon as possible. Resources: | | | |
