There are many situations where guardianship for an adult might be needed during the late stages of life. What I hear most frequently is a diagnosis of dementia, often Alzheimer’s Disease. Other times, the diagnosis is a general senility related to aging that impacts memory and judgment. Whether dementia or senility, the trajectory is sadly in one direction only: reduced capacity to focus on important matters and decreased capability to care for oneself. In short, eventual inability to make one’s own decisions and live independently.
Because as a society we highly value individual rights, depriving a citizen of their most basic right to make their own decisions and manage their own life is taken very seriously by the courts. Nonetheless, where a person requires oversight for their own well-being, the courts will step in and appoint a person, known as a guardian or conservator, to be responsible for the care of another.
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