A guardian is a person appointed, with Court approval, to be responsible for someone’s personal daily living needs (a guardian of the “person”) and/or someone’s financial matters (a guardian of the “estate”). The person for whom a guardian is appointed is called the “Protected Person.” For a guardian to be appointed, a Court must find that the Protected Person lacks the capacity to make responsible decisions for themselves due to some doctor-diagnosed condition.

Formerly called a “Last Will and Testament”, this document was once used to publish someone testimony on how they were brought to salvation in the Christian faith, and how their property would be distributed to the extent allowed by the current laws of that county. Today, wills are secondary documents in the process of transferring ownership on death. Beneficiary designations, joint tenancy, dead effective on death, and of course trusts, are the primary transfer vehicles because they avoid probate.

If Medicare insurance runs out or is not sufficient to meet the medical or daily care needs of an individual, Medicaid may be available. Medicaid is a Federal Government program now administered by states but funded by both Federal and state support. Like most government-oriented programs, the bureaucratic process of application and approval is daunting and complex. It is not recommended that an individual undertake this process on their own.