GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – There are so many elderly people who get abused, neglected or don’t have anyone to properly care for them. They deserve better. The Marshall County Guardianship Program is filling in that gap.
The Marshall County Guardianship Program is helping older adults, who have been deemed incompetent by the probate court. The non-profit provides legal volunteer guardians to serve and support the person.
“It’s our citizens of Marshall County and a lot of them are elderly,” says Andrea LeCroy, the organizations secretary and treasurer. “They have been such an asset in our county for their lifetime. We want to take care of them.”
For LeCroy, it’s more than an obligation. “It’s an honor to be able to do this for them,” she says.
LeCroy is a charter member of the Marshall County Guardianship Program, which started in 2009. Volunteers, who must undergo an application process and background check, are paired with an incapacitated person.
“They get to build a relationship with their wards,” explains Board President Rachel Syx. “We try to place our applicants/volunteers with people they would get along with and enjoy going to spend time with.”
Syx says volunteer guardians do many of the same things a family member would do.
“Some of our volunteers take their wards out to lunch, take them shopping, go to the grocery store and do things they want to do just to live a normal life,” explains Syx. “If they’re in a nursing home and not so mobile, then they will go visit them once a week or so and make sure they have everything they need and make sure they’re being taken care of.”
The organization operates out of LeCroy’s space in the probate office at the Marshall County Courthouse in Guntersville. That’s where our $319 would come in handy.
“Thank you so much,” says LeCroy. “That will go to such great use for our program. I appreciate you all so much.”
LeCroy says the money helps them move toward some big goals they have like setting up their own independent phone line and getting their own office space. For more information or to apply to be a volunteer, call 256-571-7764, extension 3.
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Marshall County Guardianship Program helps care for elderly citizens
I hope this is all true. And I hope if they take care of any complaints the wards or their families have as well.
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