Guardianship Services
Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo provides legal guardianship services for adults age 55 and older who have no appropriate family to make decisions for their medical care and estate. Clients suffer from dementia or other illnesses that limit their decision making capacity. In most cases, clients are impoverished and have been victims of elder abuse or financial exploitation. Many lived isolated lives before entering a nursing home. The probate court appoints Catholic Charities’ volunteers as legal guardians to advocate for their care. However, guardianship becomes much more than advocacy – a volunteer guardian becomes a companion and a friend.
If you are aware of adults age 55 and older who may be victims of self-neglect, mistreatment or exploitation by caregivers or family members, please call 419-668-3073, ext.102 or your local Adult Protective Services office.
Become a Volunteer Guardian
- Make a difference in someone’s life by being a friend to the lonely.
- Volunteer in your retirement years to help someone in need.
- As a family with young children, “adopt” a grandparent to provide the joy of little ones to someone who has no family to visit them.
What Volunteer Guardianship Includes:
- Initial training and on-going support from Catholic Charities’ staff.
- Assignment to serve one client. Clients assigned to volunteer guardians are able to communicate and appreciate the care and compassion shown by a volunteer.
- A commitment to visiting the client at least once a month and being aware of his or her needs.
- Being available 24/7 to respond to inquiries when needed from nursing home or medical staff regarding the client’s care.
- An opportunity for people of all faiths to participate as guardians. Clients come from various faith backgrounds.
- The opportunity to extend the love and mercy of Christ to the lonely.
Guardianship and Caregiver Support Group Meetings
Catholic Charities Adult Advocacy Services hosts support group meetings in Lexington, Ohio, near Mansfield for legal guardians and caregivers to elderly individuals. The support group meetings are hosted bi-monthly on the first Wednesday of the month and provide both education and an opportunity to share with others.The meetings are held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Resurrection Church, 2600 Lexington Ave., Lexington, Ohio 44904. The meetings are open to people of all faiths.
The meetings are free and open to the public. For additional information, please contact Brenda Starr-Jude at 419-524-0733 ext. 223 or bstarrjude@toledodiocese.org.
For upcoming dates and times, please go to catholiccharitiesnwo.org/event-calendar.
When Terry met Billy for the first time, it seemed as if they had known each other for years. “What connected me with Billy was that he was very easy to talk with,” explains Terry. “We have a lot of the same interests, and we were on the same page.” “We like the same sports... Read more
It started with an email five years ago from Brenda Starr-Jude, Adult Advocacy Staff Guardian, at Catholic Charities. Read more
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously; defend the rights of the poor and needy. – Proverbs 31:8-9 Imagine being vulnerable from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or mental illness. You have no one looking out for you.... Read more
Learn more:
To learn more about Guardianship Services, please contact Carol Wheeler at 419-668-3073, ext.102 or cwheeler@toledodiocese.org.
