On June 6 representatives from the 12th Judicial Circuit
will be appearing in front of the Manatee County Commission to request
funding for a guardianship monitor to assist the court in monitoring the
health, welfare and safety of Manatee County residents who are the
subjects of guardianships and who are under the jurisdiction of the
Guardianship Court of Manatee County.
A guardianship is
commonly set up for those who as they become older cannot manage their
personal finances or physically become unable to take care of themselves
independently. Sometimes guardianships are set up because the ward
suffers from a physical disability or as a result of an accident or
injury. More and more guardianships are being set up to assist those who
suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The majority of Manatee
County cases consists of elderly wards who no longer are able to
independently take care of themselves and are totally dependent on their
guardian to make certain they are receiving the care they need to have a
satisfactory quality of life. Currently there are over 467 active
guardianship cases in Manatee County.
The court normally
relies on the guardian to make certain the ward is safe and well cared
for. Professional guardians, for the most part, do an excellent job
taking care of the ward and reporting to the court. However the majority
of guardians are relatives, many who live out of town, friends,
caretakers, neighbors of the ward, or someone the assisted living or
other facility has asked to look after the ward.
We have all heard the horror stories regarding physical and
financial exploitation of wards by their guardians and caretakers. All
too often the courts find out about these abuses after the fact.
In Sarasota, the
Sarasota County Commission approved a Guardianship Monitor who acts as
the eyes and ears of the court. The guardianship monitor has assisted
the guardianship court in Sarasota in following up on abuse and neglect
incidents that would not normally have come to the court's attention.
The guardianship monitor has also been instrumental in helping to
restore the rights of wards who no longer meet the criteria for having
their fundamental rights taken away from them. Often the guardianship
monitor will act independently, based upon a letter or phone call and
can bring issues to the court’s attention immediately.
Most importantly, the
guardianship monitor will make site visits to the ward on a regular
basis to make certain the ward is safe and secure. Currently there is no
mechanism in Manatee County to do this.
We feel that for the
citizens of Manatee County to be assured that some of the most
vulnerable of their fellow citizens are receiving all the protection and
services we can give them, the funding of a guardianship monitor be
given serious consideration by the Manatee County Commission.
Full Article & Source:
Manatee County would benefit from a guardianship monitor
3 comments:
It sounds like a step forward.
If you ever decide to use a guardian for an elderly parent use caution! This cannot be undone in the current system and there is a lot of financial abuse going on.
If you ever contemplate using a Guardian in Manatee County beware. There is a lot of financial and other corruption and negligence going on and you cannot go back. This is a great idea to help move forward.
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