An 82-year-old widow was admitted to the hospital after sustaining a fall. she was found by the superintendent of her apartment building after she was not seen for 4 days. she has no living relatives. cognitive testing performed at the time of hospital admission revealed mild cognitive impairment. the interdisciplinary team on the acute care for the elderly unit recommends long-term care placement, and guardianship is sought. the woman asks what this means. you base your response on the knowledge that:
a guardian is a person designated by the individual to make health care decisions when the individual is not able to.
a guardian is a person designated by the individual to make financial decisions when the individual is not able to.
a guardian is a person appointed by the court to have care, custody, and control of a disabled person and to manage personal and/or financial affairs.
a guardian is a person who is appointed by the court to make nursing home placement decisions only.

Any guardianship is established by court. The court grants the guardian the authority to make decisions in the name of the person in their care ( the ward). The relationship is fiduciary, meaning that the guardian is obliged to act in the best interest of the ward.

Once a person is assigned a guardian, their rights become restricted. The guardian decides for the person in the matters of health, finances, property, education, social activities, writing a will or getting married.

A guardian must submit written reports to the court justifying his decisions.