The Guardianship Alliance provides information, referrals, and assistance for individuals, families and organizations about:

• guardianship and conservatorship for adults who are incapacitated and/or vulnerable;
• Advance Directives (the Living Will and Durable Powers of Attorney);
• Proxy Decision-makers for Medical Treatment;
• how to terminate guardianship and conservatorship;
• what to do about abusive and/or exploitive guardians and conservators;
• other related information.

Referrals are made to attorneys who specialize in guardianship, conservatorship, advance directives, and estate planning.

For those wishing to petition for guardianship, in non-contested cases, a class is held twice each month where “pro se” packets are available along with instructions about completing the forms and the procedures to be followed. Only information about the process is provided. Legal advice is never given. The fee for the class and packet is $100. The fee can be waived with proof of financial hardship. The packet can be mailed at the same price, although attendance at the class is encouraged. A PC disk is included which contains the necessary forms for petitioning for guardianship of an adult.

The Guardianship Alliance makes referrals to professional guardians, conservators and money managers who charge fees for their services. Most are also available to serve as agents under Durable Powers of Attorney, either medical or financial. The professional people referred by the Guardianship Alliance are carefully screened. They complete a thorough application, submit names of four references and a background check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. When there is a call requesting a referral to a prospective guardian, conservator or money manager, Alliance staff inquires about geographic area and circumstances and gives referrals to at least three compatible candidates. Information about the candidates is sent to the caller, if desired. Callers are urged to interview the prospective professionals and are sent suggested interview questions and matters to consider in making a selection. Callers are asked to report back to the Alliance following a referral regarding the professional(s) selected and satisfaction with the relationship. Registration fees for professionals listed with the Referral service are:

• Individuals $50
• Organization/Business $100.

The Guardianship Alliance of Colorado provides training for guardians of adults. The six hour class includes a 100+ page loose leaf handbook and covers topics such as:

• duties, responsibilities and limitations of a guardian's authority;
• financial management;
• how to make decisions for a ward without being overprotective;
• medical ethical decision-making;
• how to be an advocate;
• finding, selecting and evaluating services, programs and benefits;
• when and how to terminate a guardianship;
• preparing and using a guardianship plan;
• record keeping.

For those wishing to petition for guardianship, in non-contested cases, a class is held monthly where pro se packets are available along with instructions about completing the forms and the procedures to be followed. Only information about the process is provided. Legal advice is never given. The fee for the class and packet is $125.  A PC disk is included which contains the necessary forms for petitioning for guardianship of an adult.

To register, please call our office at 303-228-5382. Please clearly state and spell your name(s) and give us your mailing address.

Presentations and in-service training are available about:

• guardianship and conservatorship for adults;
• Advance Directives the Living Will and Durable Powers of Attorney);
• the Proxy Decision-maker law and procedures.

All presentations include printed material and time for questions, answers and discussion. Organizational members of the Guardianship Alliance are entitled to one free presentation or in-service training per year. Fees are charged to all others.

The Guardianship Alliance sponsors two one-day seminars each year dealing with topics related to substitute decision-making for adults such as guardianship, conservatorship, advance directives, incapacity and related matters. Click here to check for current events.

An incapacitated adult may be so isolated that he/she does not have a family member or friend to serve as his/her guardian. Physicians and other health care providers are reluctant, and often refuse, to treat and serve an incapacitated adult who does not have a guardian to give informed consent. In addition, without a guardian, an individual may be denied appropriate housing, pension benefits, government entitlements, personal care and social activities. Colorado does not have a state-funded guardianship program which would serve such people. A few County Departments of Social Services provide guardianship services but only in limited circumstances.

The Guardianship Alliance recruits, carefully screens and trains volunteers who serve as guardians for adults who are isolated, indigent and incapacitated. Agencies such as hospitals, nursing homes, home health providers and others, call the Alliance seeking Volunteer Guardians for their patients. The Alliance matches an appropriate volunteer (when a volunteer is available) with a person in need of a guardian, and handles all required paperwork.

Volunteers complete the Guardianship Alliance Guardian Training class free of charge. On-going support and consultation is always available for the volunteers. They submit annual reports to the Guardianship Alliance and to the court.

In addition to guardians, some volunteers serve as agents under Durable Powers of Attorney, representative payees and money managers.

Duties and Responsibilities of a Volunteer Guardian: Depending upon the court order in a specific case, a Volunteer Guardian has the same duties as any guardian which include:

• To determine where the ward should live.
• To arrange for and make decisions about care, medical treatment or other services for the ward.
• To see that the basic daily personal needs of the ward are met, including food, clothing and shelter

Immunities of Guardians: A guardian is not required to provide for a ward out of the guardian’s own funds. A guardian is not liable for a ward's actions and behaviors. A guardian is not liable for harm to a ward caused by a care giver selected by the guardian.

Time Requirement for Volunteer Guardians: The time required to serve as a Volunteer Guardian depends upon the severity of the ward’s disabling condition. For persons in residential care facilities where daily needs are provided by staff, the guardian's time requirement may be only four to six hours per month. For those in independent or semi-independent living situations, the guardian may have to monitor diet, safety and other daily needs which will require more time. Before accepting an appointment, a prospective Volunteer Guardian must seriously consider the time commitment required.

Volunteers specify the geographic area in which they wish to work and the population they wish to serve.

While guardianship is often a long-term commitment (for the life of the ward) if circumstances make it absolutely impossible for a volunteer to continue, the appointment can be terminated. In that case, the Guardianship Alliance will find a successor guardian and make a smooth transition for the ward.

The Guardianship Alliance frequently receives calls from health care and long term care providers about patients who have no family members or friends to make medical decisions for them. In some cases the individual is seriously ill and/or on life-support systems and doctors give no hope for recovery. In other cases, treatment may restore the individual to good or reasonably good health. In either situation the patient remains unable to make or communicate decisions for his or her own treatment.

Colorado law makes no provision for medical decisions to be made for such individuals other than through a guardianship. County departments of social services are prohibited from petitioning for guardianship in order to make medical decisions for an individual. There is no other public entity to address these matters. Consequently, in these cases no decisions are made and treatment is not received.

The Guardianship Alliance will accept an emergency guardianship appointment only for the purpose of making urgent, isolated medical decisions including those related to life sustaining treatment. Such an appointment will be limited to 60 days in most cases. The emergency guardianship will be terminated immediately if a family member or bona fide proxy decision-maker should step forward. Following expiration of the emergency guardianship, if a patient continues to be in need of a guardian, the GAC will make every effort to facilitate appointment through the appropriate County Department of Human Services or a Volunteer Guardian.