The Arc of Wake County provides guardianship of the person services through the LIFEguardianship Supports and Services program of The Arc of North Carolina. Guardianship is a legal relationship through which The Arc is authorized to make decisions on behalf of adults who have a developmental disability and/or mental illness, and have been found to be incompetent by the court. While it is preferred that a guardian be an individual, LIFEguardianship provides an option for people who do not have a relative or acquaintance able and willing to be the guardian. Funding may be provided by private funds, local area programs, or through a state contract.

Guardianship of the Person includes the responsibilities to care for the individual needs of the protégés (wards) regarding where they should live (residential), whether they should participate in vocational or habilitative programs (habilitative), consent for medical treatment (medical), and decisions about visitors and leisure activities (social). Sometimes, guardianship is limited to just one, two or three of these areas if that is all the protégé needs. Guardianship of the Person does not involve control over money and property, but if guardianship of the estate is needed, The Arc of North Carolina may be able to provide those services as well.

Currently, the Guardianship Specialists at The Arc of Wake County monitor the welfare of 60 protégés in Wake, Johnston, and Harnett Counties. The monitoring includes: visits every two months in home or day program locations, attendance at plan meetings, regular contact with case managers and support staff, and oversight of medical issues. The Guardianship Specialist tries to determine the protégé’s wants and desires, and advocates for those preferences as long as they are not harmful to the individual.

Major decisions, such as consent for surgery or moving to a different support agency involve not only the Guardianship Specialist, but also Protégé Review Committee consisting of volunteers with various areas of expertise and experience. This committee also serves as the Human Rights Committee to ensure that the protégé’s rights are preserved as much as possible. Additional volunteers are recruited to serve as community friends and advocates for the protégés.

For further information about the LIFEguardianship program, contact our staff.