Guradianship
vs.
Supportive Decision Making
vs.
Supportive Decision Making
How much support your student will need in making life decisions once they turn 18 will help you to determine if guardianship or supportive decision making is the right choice.
This decision can be seen as a two-fold question:
1. Who will take care of my students when I am unable?
2. What decisions can my student make independently once they turn 18?
Be sure to speak with your care manager to help get these questions answered.
The reality is that everyone who has a dependent needs to think about who will take care of their dependent when they are no longer able to do it themselves.
This can be scary and overwhelming to think about, but it is necessary to have a plan in place to ensure your loved one is taken care of how and by whom you want to take care of them.
Any person aged 18 and older is considered an adult and legally able to make any and all decisions for themselves, regardless of their capability to make those decisions. This can leave certain populations of people vulnerable.
Before your student turns 18 it is important to have a conversation to decide what decisons your student may need help with and what they can do on their own.
Talk with your student about your plans and their wishes, as much as they can participate.
Talk with your friends, family, and loved ones about what you want for your student.
Explore Primary and Standby/Alternative Standby Guardianship if you need someone outside of friends or family to care for your student.
Create a will and make sure multiple people know where it is.
Supported Decision Making: Supported Decision-Making is an alternative to guardianship. It allows the person with the disability to have more autonomy in making their own choices about their own lives with the support of a team of people they choose.