Free SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO GUARDIANS - District of Columbia

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO GUARDIANS Upon appointment, unless the appointment is made to accomplish one specific purpose, a guardian, limited or general, shall become or remain personally acquainted with the ward and maintain sufficient contact with the ward to know of the ward's capacities, limitations, needs, opportunities and physical and mental health pursuant to D.C. Code § 21-2047. Specifically, the guardian should do the following: (1) Upon appointment, the guardian shall forthwith qualify by filing bond if the Court requires bond and by filing an Acceptance and Consent to Jurisdiction (Form II-A-1) unless the guardian has executed paragraph fourteen (14) of the Petition for General Proceeding (Form II-A). (2) From available funds, a guardian shall ensure that monies are available each month for the personal use and/or needs of the ward. If the ward resides in a nursing home, the guardian may consider contacting the appropriate nursing home officials with a view toward establishing and funding a `patient's account' with the home to be utilized for the monthly purchase of incidental needs of the ward. If the ward is a Medicaid recipient, the guardian shall utilize such amounts as allowed by Medicaid regulations for the personal use needs of the ward. (3) If no conservator has been appointed and the guardian is charged with the responsibility of expending funds for the care and maintenance of the ward, the guardian shall ensure that monies available for the care and maintenance are timely paid to the nursing home or other authorized caretaker at the agreed upon times. (4) The guardian shall keep informed of the ward's medical needs and desires and shall maintain sufficient contact with the ward's medical personnel and caretaker officials to ensure the medical needs of the ward are fully satisfied and shall seek appropriate order of the Court prior to consenting to any medical procedures set forth in D.C. Code § 21-2047(c) unless such authority is granted in the order of appointment. The above instructions are in no way to be construed as all inclusive of the guardian's duties and responsibilities. Individuals serving as guardians shall be governed by all applicable statutory provisions, rules of Court and such orders as may be entered.

Revised June, 2003.