Vulnerable Adults Urgently Need the City to Renew Funding of the Guardianship Project
Overview
The Guardianship Project serves as court-appointed agency guardians to a vulnerable, mostly indigent population—elderly and disabled people who lack family or other supports. The project’s multidisciplinary services provide essential support networks and enable clients to live as independently as possible—regardless of their ability to pay. The COVID-19 pandemic and looming budget cuts are now threatening the lives of Guardianship clients: many have already died, mostly in nursing homes.
Key Takeaway
Without city funding for the upcoming fiscal year, Guardianship Project clients are likely to become further institutionalized at a higher cost to taxpayers down the road. By allowing the Guardianship Project to continue supporting vulnerable New Yorkers, renewing city funding to the Guardianship Project will not only save taxpayer dollars, it will also save lives.
Publication Highlights
Through the role of court-appointed guardian, the project humanely addresses the critical needs of highly vulnerable clients, saves public dollars, and allows key institutions to operate more effectively.
Project staff include lawyers, social workers, finance associates, property managers, and benefits coordinators, who oversee an array of services and help clients remain independent and engaged in their communities.
Without renewed funding, the Guardianship Project cannot continue coordinating clients’ care, monitoring their health, and delivering essential resources. Many clients would be forced to move into nursing homes or institutions.