Office of Public Guardianship Will Help Many Seniors in Need

Shirley Bondon

A guardian is a surrogate decision-maker appointed by the court to make either personal and/or financial decisions for a minor or for an adult whom the court has determined has a significant risk of personal or financial harm based on a demonstrated inability to adequately provide for nutrition, health, physical safety or manage property or financial affairs.

Many of us who are reaching our “golden years” are concerned about what might happen if we were unable to adequately manage nutritional, health, housing, safety or financial needs.  Most have spouses, children, other family or friends to lean and rely on during this critical time. But unfortunately, many others have no family or friends to care for them. 

Until very recently, if you were low income, elderly or a person with a disability, unable to care for yourself and alone, your options might be dismal. You could expect to be institutionalized or possibly at increased risk of abuse or exploitation.  But thanks to a dedicated group of advocates concerned about the elderly and persons with disabilities, the 2007 Washington State Legislature passed a bill with the potential to provide quality care for individuals 18 and over statewide who are poor and alone and need the assistance of a professional guardian.

Senate Bill 5320 established the Office of Public Guardianship within the Administrative Office of the Courts to promote the availability of guardianship services for individuals who need them and for whom the services may not otherwise be available.

Legislators appropriated $1,483,000 to establish the Office and to develop two programs to determine if these services can improve quality of life for low-income elderly persons and persons with disabilities. The Office expects to contract with certified professional guardians to provide services in two geographical areas beginning April 2007.

Everyone can probably think of someone the Office might help. It might be a family member or your next door neighbor or possibly those found living in deteriorating conditions in their homes. Making this help available should be a priority for each of us.

The Office has the potential to improve the quality of all guardianship services, improve guardian oversight and reduce pressures to institutionalize individuals who, with needed help, could live in more independent settings. These improvements can occur while providing savings to the state through reductions in costs associated with institutionalization, decreasing participants’ repeat involvement with law enforcement and the courts, and facilitating access to governmental funding.

You can help by sharing the “good news” about the establishment of the Office and coming availability of services in two geographical areas that will be determined early next year and by encouraging legislators to continue to support and expand these services throughout the state. 

Stakeholder meetings to discuss the process to contract for public guardian services are scheduled for December 11, 12, 13 and 14 in Olympia, Spokane, Ellensburg and SeaTac respectively.

For more information about the programs and the stakeholder meetings, please contact Shirley Bondon at shirley.bondon@courts.wa.gov or at (360) 705-5302.

Shirley Bondon is Manager of the Office of Public Guardianship

Photo: U.S. Administration on Aging