In Japan, Guardianship Initiated by Local Government on the Rise

The number of cases in which local government heads applied to family courts for adult guardianship on behalf of residents’ relatives, mostly elderly suffering from dementia and handicapped people, reached a record high of 5,046 last year, according to the Supreme Court.

The number nearly tripled from five years ago, making local government heads the second most frequent applicants for adult guardianship at family courts. There is concern over a possible shortage of guardians in the future, as more and more elderly people have few they can turn to for support.

Many applications by city, ward, town or village mayors are made upon reports from their neighbors or welfare service staff, when elderly persons suffering from dementia have no relatives nearby or are abused at home.

The number has continued to rise since the adult guardianship system was introduced in fiscal 2000, when there were only 23 applications, or 0.5 percent of all, made by local government heads. The 2013 figure showed an increase of 503 cases from the previous year.

In 2013, there were 34,215 cases where guardians were appointed for adults who are considered to lack adequate judgment, for reasons such as dementia or mental incapacity. The guardians were selected by family courts to manage those people’s estates and to make contracts on their behalf—to move them into nursing homes, for example.

Applications by local government heads accounted for 14.7 percent of all the cases in 2013, exceeding those by “brothers and sisters,” 13.7 percent, and by “other relatives,” 13.4 percent, for the first time. The number of applications by children was in top place, with 34.7 percent.

Full Article and Source:
Local Governments Apply for More Guardianships