LSF Guardianship Program has provided advocacy, care
management, assistance to obtain public benefits, coordination of services, and
financial management, to vulnerable individuals in Sarasota for over 20
years. The Case managers and Finance
staff at LSF carry the largest caseload of indigent guardianship cases in the
county.
LSF Clients are individuals, over the age of 18, with developmental or physical disabilities, mental illness, traumatic brain injury, or Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, etc.. These individuals are often the marginalized, isolated, and invisible citizens who repeatedly show up in emergency rooms, receiving facilities, police reports and/or homeless shelters. Without a guardian to investigate options and apply & advocate for services, they exist in the revolving door of crisis management – without dignity – often creating unnecessary expense to the community programs that try to serve them. Referrals to LSF Guardianship Program come from, hospitals, jails, mental health programs, group homes, assisted living and nursing facilities and from the Department of Children & Families’ Adult Protective Services staff when abuse, neglect or exploitation are identified. For many of these individuals Guardianship the last resort to protect a client’s rights, property, safety and dignity.
Clients are often in the most complicated situations, facing dire circumstances which are complicated by lack of resources. Trained LSF Guardianship Program staff step in to assess the situation/crisis, protect the ward and their assets, coordinate services, and create short and long-term care plans. This is completed by visiting the client, wherever they are, and assessing their physical, psychological, financial, and spiritual needs. Staff is always required to take into account the ward’s wishes, work with family and other interested parties, and provide care in the least restrictive environment possible, given the ward’s needs, abilities and resources. Staff must often work with families who have already been deemed unwilling, unable or unreliable in managing these important basic needs. Clients are visited monthly to reevaluate and coordinate ongoing care.
In our local community, guardians make arrangements for housing and supportive services, including finding safe accommodations in the community, or in local facilities and finding options to pay for those accommodations through application to public benefits. Staff members assure the health and safety of each ward through finding appropriate medical care and access to necessary prescription medication. Staff manages income, protects assets, and pays bills, while assuring ongoing eligibility for public benefits. In most cases, guardians must oversee every aspect of the ward’s health and safety.