Guardianship Branch

Kentucky's public guardianship program is within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and has offices in each region of Kentucky.

Guardianship is a legal relationship between a court appointed party (adult) that assumes the responsibility of guardian and a ward (adult) being the individual that has been declared "legally disabled" (wholly or partially) by the court and is unable to care for personal needs and /or unable to manage his/her financial resources (see fiduciary services).

If no family member, friend or neighbor is willing to serve or able to care for the individual, then as a last resort, a state guardian will be appointed by the court.

• A guardian may be given whole responsibility for the ward if the disabled person is unable to take care of personal needs. The rights a ward would lose if found to have a total disability in the court proceeding include but are not limited to: the right to vote, the right to drive a car, the right to make medical decisions, the right to determine where to live, the right to dispose of property and the right to execute instruments such as writing checks, getting married or writing a will. Loss of specific rights will be identified in the disability order by the judge.
• A limited guardian may be appointed if the disabled person is declared partially disable and can care for some personal needs but may need help in other areas.
• A conservator may be appointed if a disable person only needs help managing financial/fiduciary affairs.
• A conservator may be appointed alone or in combination with a guardian to handle a disabled person’s financial/fiduciary affairs.

The Fiduciary Section of the Guardianship Branch is responsible for all conservancy issues related to the over 2000 commonwealth's wards.

This includes applying for benefits; maintaining benefit eligibility; depositing checks (over 4,000 per month above the checks direct deposited); last approval of request for funds; issuing checks for same; ensuring monthly room, board, personal needs, mortgage, utilities, grocery funds, work allowances, etc are paid timely; investing ward's funds in a purdent manner; individual income taxes; accounting for ward's funds in compliance with laws and regulations;hand balancing 10,000 transactions monthly; ensuring internal control and accounting principles are in place; and all issues related to financial issues of the wards of the commonwealth.

For more information on Guardianship please call: (502) 564-2927

If you have gone through normal channels and your problem is still not resolved, you may get help from the Office of the Ombudsman.

Call (800) 372-2973 or (800) 627-4702 (TTY)

Click here to go to the Office of the Ombudsman's Web site