Villages hosted a completely packed seminar on Legal Guardianship. On the panel (and pictured above) were Ami S. Jaeger,  Founder and Principal with BioLaw Group, in Santa Fe, NM,  Marcia Southwick, Village member, and DeAnza M. Valencia, MS, JD,  Associate State Director for Advocacy, AARP.  Prior to July 2017, anyone put under legal guardianship could completely lose their personal rights – the guardian had complete control of assets, where you lived, and even if your family could visit you or not.
 

In July 2017, the Uniform Law Commission approved the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship and Other Protective Arrangements Act (UGCOPAA). This new act is a comprehensive guardianship statute that promotes person-centered planning to incorporate an individual’s preferences and values into a guardianship order.

But we are not finished. UGGOOPAA needs to be funded by our legislators to really protect us and the most vunerable. In the coming weeks, Villages will send out information on how to call your representative. I urge you to work with Villages and AARP to move forward in the next session of the legislature. Please email me at villagesofsantafe@gmail.com to be put on our action group!