Guardianships are established and monitored by the Superior
Court. Guardians are appointed through a legal process in which the
rights of the individual are protected and the needs of the individual
are reviewed. Guardianship Services of Seattle becomes involved when there is no family, when family
are unable to serve due to distance or other factors, when there are
irreconcilable differences among family members, or when there has been
exploitation or neglect. When there is family support, GSS strives to
foster and maintain positive contacts.
Guardianship is appropriate when the individual requires a surrogate to
make or implement important decisions. The duties of a guardian can include a wide variety of activities such as crisis intervention, property
management, investment oversight, management of income and regular
expenses, management of medical care and consent and ensuring that proper living
arrangements are in place.
A guardian of the estate may be given authority to assume control
of bank accounts, investments, real property, personal property and other
assets. The guardian of the estate is usually given responsibility for
paying routine bills and managing claims against the client's
assets.
A guardian of the person is usually given responsibility for
ensuring that the client's medical
and personal care needs are met. This can entail a wide variety of
assistance depending on the physical condition, mental condition, living
situation and attitude of the client.
The guardian's authority is
often conditioned or limited based on the abilities of the client. Co-guardianships are sometimes created, allowing the family to share the
duties of guardianship.
Our primary goal is to ensure that clients are treated as
valued members of the community and are served in the most valued and
least institutional settings possible. Many of our clients are able to
live independent lives with supervision. We prefer to provide assistance
to clients in their own homes. When this is not possible, we have
considerable experience in developing non-institutional residential
settings. For clients in nursing homes we make regular visits, ensure that
appropriate care is provided and advocate for less restrictive
alternatives.
Guardians are required to make an initial report that includes a
detailed statement of the client's assets or care needs and the plans of the guardian. Guardians are also
required to provide an annual court report of their financial and client
care activities.
