CARE's Adult Guardianship Program
Indiana does not offer a public guardianship program for adults who are adjudicated by a court to be incapacitated.
An adult, while they have legal decision making capacity, may put in place a power of attorney and health care decision maker in advance of their need. Then, if and when their services become needed someone they trust steps in. Under Indiana's health care consent law, a family member or close friend may be considered a natural surrogate decision maker. For those who neither have a willing family member or friend, there are only a smattering of Volunteer Advocates for Seniors and Incapacitated Adults (VASIA) programs and private, professional guardians available.
The need for guardians in Indiana far exceeds the services available. The gap is of crisis proportions.
For adults whose need for a guardian originates in Marion County, the Center for At-Risk Elders provides guardianship services for approximately 325 men and women. As guardianship is established in "the county of presence" virtually every one of CARE's guardianships start in Marion County. However, clients do not have to remain in Marion County and many, in fact, do not live in the county.
The quality of our services matters to us. For this reason, CARE utilizes a narrow set of criteria. Unfortunately, this means many, many men and women in our community go without services. (To bring about a change, citizens concerned about the lack of quality guardianship services for vulnerable adults are encouraged to share these concerns with their elected state officials.)
Criteria for Making a Referral to CARE
The following criteria are used in evaluating referrals for acceptance for our Volunteer Advocates Program:
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·Incapacitated adults (18 years or over) in Marion County;
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·Hospitalized at a hospital facility or an outpatient in crisis, including a patient for who end-of-life decisions may need to be made;
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·Determined by their physician to require 24/7 professional supervised care services capable of being paid for through insurance or government benefit programs, whether or not such insurance of government programs have yet been applied for;
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·Determined by a licensed physician to be mentally or medically incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themselves;
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·Without a willing, able, or suitable relative or other significant person to serve as a guardian or decision maker;
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·Determined by the Marion County Probate Court to require a guardian; and
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·Be referred by an entity for whom CARE has a contractual or grant relationship. (Currently, these include Community Health Network, Eskenazi Health, and IU Health.)
Meet the above criteria?
Resources - Guardians
Indiana Office of Adult Guardianship
Provides general resources for courts on issues related to adult guardianship and administers funding for VASIA programs throughout Indiana.
National Guardianship Association
Establishes and promotes nationally recognized standards. Great resource for guardians and guardianship organizations.
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
Nation's leader for consumer-driven efforts to ensure quality in long-term care settings. Abundance of resources for consumers, families, and advocates.