decisions independently.^32 Other clients, regardless of their capacity, may not
want to re-assert full autonomy. They may want to modify certain aspects of their
relationship with their guardian. Even when a guardianship must be maintained,
there are ways to effect positive changes to improve the overall circumstances of
the client or to make the guardianship less onerous and more suited to the needs
of the client.
- Office of Public Guardian and Trustee is Statutory Guardian of
Property
Persons under the statutory guardianship of the PGT can complain about a
range of issues. Many complaints could be resolved easily with improved
communications between the client and their PGT representative. The quality of
interaction between a client and the PGT representative can vary widely as can
the level of assistance and support a representative provides to clients. In some
cases, control by the PGT can be helpful, especially when the income to be
managed is only high enough to cover the expenses that need to be paid.
In some instances, clients find management by the PGT to be heavy-handed and
unresponsive to the client’s wishes. Many clients complain that they are unable
to communicate effectively with their representative and some feel abandoned by
their PGT representative when problems arise.
At times a conversation with a PGT representative, a team leader or PGT
counsel can help resolve issues. However, many PGT offices are understaffed
and there is high turn-over among client representatives. For these reasons, it
can often take some time before someone at the PGT is able to take effective
action to resolve a problem.
(^32) It is usually best to have this confirmed by a designated capacity assessor.