Family Guardians

Lawrence County Guardianship

Services Program

What is a Family Guardian and how does it compare to the LCGSP Volunteer Guardian?

             The responsibilities of the Family Guardian and LCGSP Volunteer Guardian are the same:  to advocate and protect the legal rights and assist in making important life decisions of at-risk adults with diminished ability to function safely in society.   The level of authority given to any guardian is determined by the Court according to the need of the Ward.

             The difference in the two types of guardians is that the Family Guardian is an individual who accepts the responsibility of protecting a family member while the LCGSP Volunteer Guardian accepts this responsibility for adults who have no relative or close friend who is qualified to be a guardian.

             While the Family Guardian may or may not also be the caregiver of the Ward, the Volunteer is not the Ward’s caregiver.

 

How can I know if an adult in my family needs a guardian?       

             If you have an adult family member from age 18 up who does not appear to function safely in society, investigate further to determine whether or not your belief may be correct.  It’s not a matter to be taken lightly.  It is imperative to allow our loved ones to be able to maintain as many of their rights as possible for as long as possible.   We must be careful to find the balance between allowing people to keep their rights while protecting them from making dangerous decisions that risk their health and belongings. 

             For more information as to why some people may need a guardian, see the Wards/Referrals page of our website.

 

What is the relationship of LCGSP to Family Guardians?

             Since the inception of LCGSP, we have realized that though there are many adults who have no one to protect them and their rights, there are many others who are in need of guardians and who have trusted family members to help them, but who have no knowledge or training to be guardians.  Therefore, in addition to staying true to our original purpose of training and supervising guardians and wards within our program, it is our desire to train responsible adults to be wise guardians for family members, yet not be an actual part of the volunteer program. This training would free up our Volunteers to work with those who have no one else and allow trusted, trained family members to protect their own loved ones.

             Guardianships can be confusing to those who have never been a guardian.  LCGSP has developed a training program that takes a lot of the guesswork and anxiety out of being a good guardian for your loved one. 

 

  How do I get guardianship training from LCGSP?

             Whether you already have a family member in need of a guardian or you want to be prepared for the need in the future, you can contact LCGSP about registering for the guardianship training. 

             The introduction of the Family Guardianship training program is being co-sponsored by the Lawrence County Community Foundation.  LCCF is working with us to make our community a better place to live.