Since Ohio law establishes that Probate Judges are Superior Guardians of all guardianships; the Probate Judge is entrusted with ensuring the safety and well-being of every ward in Union County. The goal of guardianship, through the Court’s eyes, is to protect an individual while allowing the Ward to preserve the greatest amount of independence as their physical and mental ability will allow.
A Court Visitor provides the Court with a better understanding of the Ward’s current condition and helps to identify the need to continue, modify, or terminate the appointments. Monitoring of cases is accomplished by ensuring reporting compliance by guardians, reviewing status reports and performing home visits. The program monitors all adult protected persons including the elderly, developmentally delayed and the mentally ill.
This program increases the oversight of the court by recruiting and training community volunteers to make visits to the Ward’s place of residence to assess the well-being of the Ward. They’ll also be able to provide information on available services offered in Union County and answer questions about the Guardian’s annual report. The Volunteer Court Visitor program is found in many counties throughout the United States and has become an integral part of the guardianship process.
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