Lebanon VA Medical Center (VAMC) has partnered with the Lebanon County Court Administrator to develop a process to improve guardianship for certain veterans.
Guardianship is a legal process used when an individual is determined to be unable to care for their person or property. This situation may be encountered in a medical setting during chronic or long-term illnesses, according to Sarah Primak, a licensed clinical social worker with Lebanon VAMC. The courts appoint a guardian to assist the individual, known as a ward, with personal and medical needs. Generally, a family member or friend of the veteran steps forward to become the veteran's guardian, but there are a few cases each year when a veteran does not have those options.
In instances where a veteran is unable to care for their person or property and does not have a family member or friend able to act as a guardian, Lebanon VAMC helps by working through the court system to have a guardian appointed. Typically, the Office of Aging assists with these matters, but due to its special federal status, Lebanon VAMC must be directly involved. There are costs associated with the legal process, including attorney and filing fees.
Lebanon County Court System, under the leadership of president Judge John Tylwalk, is partnering to assist with this issue. Under the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between the Lebanon VAMC and the Lebanon County Court Administrator, the court will offer pro bono legal services to pursue court appointment of guardianship for veterans who have been medically determined to lack decision-making capacity to direct their own affairs, including the course of their medical care, and who have no family members or friends willing to petition for guardianship. It will also waive any filing fees associated with any guardianship petitions initiated by the Lebanon VAMC.
Lebanon VAMC is one of 170 medical centers in the nation with the sole purpose of providing world-class medical care to America's veterans. The facility serves Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, Schuylkill and York counties and oversees community clinics located in Lancaster, Mechanicsburg, Pottsville, Wyomissing, York and Fort Indiantown Gap.
Veterans may be eligible to receive care and benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more, readers may call 717-272-6621, ext. 6000. For more information about the Lebanon VAMC, readers may visit http://www.lebanon.va.gov or http://www.facebook.com/VALebanon.
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