Your family member deserves to live with dignity and safety even when mental health needs make their daily life difficult. Many elderly people in Colorado struggle to manage their personal affairs or make sound financial decisions because of mental illness.
It’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, there are many legal protections in place to ensure you can help them receive proper care while preserving as much of their freedom as possible. Guardianship and conservatorship both exist to support your loved one thrive with appropriate support.
Guardianship and mental health
If you’re living with mental health issues, sometimes it can hinder you from receiving proper treatment that you need. A legal guardian can help make those personal decisions for you when you truly cannot manage these decisions independently.
If you’re a guardian for a family member living with mental health conditions, this means that you can advocate for them in terms of their:
- Healthcare choices
- Living arrangements
- Daily care needs
- Access to essential services
- Health treatment plans
Through guardianship, you can help your family member maintain stability when mental health issues make self-care impossible.
Conservatorship and mental health
A conservator is someone who helps you manage your financial affairs and assets when you can no longer handle money matters.
If you’re a conservator for a family member, your main role is to ensure that their financial resources support their daily care needs and quality of life. Hence, this means that you can advocate for their in terms of:
- Managing their income
- Paying their bills
- Paying for their essential care services
- Protecting their property
- Protecting them from financial exploitation
Financial protection through conservatorship helps keep your loved ones stable and in treatment during mental health crises.
How these protections support their quality of life
Your elderly loved ones deserve protection that supports their dignity and health. Sometimes having mental illnesses impairs their ability to recognize that they need help.
Having these legal protections in place helps you step in and make these important decisions for them when needed. Reaching out for guidance about these options and taking action today can help you prevent critical situations that could disrupt their lives and yours in the future.