Understanding What Conservatorship Los Angeles Means For Older Individuals

By Jessica Sanders


As people grow older, in California as elsewhere, they often fear the loss of their physical health, mental incapacity and financial difficulties. Most want to stay healthy and comfortable as long as possible, to remain independent and able to take care of themselves. There are times however when it becomes necessary for someone to take over responsibility of the senior's well being. At this point it may be time to create a conservatorship Los Angeles courts approve.

It is unsettling for some to think about end of life issues like making a will and letting certain family members know how long they want their life prolonged medically and whether they wish to be buried or cremated. If they don't do these things a conservator may end up making the decisions for them. A general conservator is one who makes all an individual's decisions, and a limited conservator is appointed to help out in the areas where the senior is having trouble.

The general conservator of a person has control over all aspects of that person's life. This includes medical care, living arrangements, transportation and anything else that affects an individual's care and maintenance. An estate conservator takes charge of the individual's finances and assets. This person decides how money will be spent and is responsible for paying the conservatee's bills.

If the affected person has not made a preference for a custodian known, the courts can appoint one. Most courts prefer to appoint the closest relative possible because that person tends to know the individual best. Preferred conservators might include a spouse, a sibling, a grown child, or close friend.

Once the court has been petitioned to appoint a conservator, it will hand the matter over to an investigator. This person meets with the individual in question to make sure they understand how the conservatorship works. The investigator is required to report back to the judge in the case with a confidential analysis.

In the case of an emergency, the courts may decide to appoint a temporary guardian to take over the individual's care until a permanent custodian can be put in place. They are sometimes required in the event that a current guardian has been removed and a new one has not yet been approved. This temporary person's responsibility usually ends within sixty to ninety days.

Conservatorships will end under certain circumstances such as the death of the guardian or the conservatee. Occasionally someone is only temporarily incapacitated and can resume responsibility for him or herself. The courts can decide a conservator should be removed or replaced, and the custodian may petition the courts to allow them to step down from the responsibility.

Requiring someone else to handle their affairs is not the first choice for anyone. The more you can make your wishes known before you find yourself in this situation, the better off you will be.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment