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Focusing on

What Matters Most

Guardianship, Care Consulting, and POA Services

Our ultimate goal, after all, is not
a good death but a good life
to the very end.

Atul GawandeBeing Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

We believe in focusing on our client’s life stories, their family, and what is important to them. We have a gentle and family-centered approach to case management, and we are not intimated by complex dynamics.

Legacy Guardianship was formed in 2018, but we have been involved in non-profit and private Guardianships since 2010.

Our Services

Guardianship

Guardianship of the Person focuses on the actual care of the individual, such as medical needs, personal needs, coordinating care, and placement in an appropriate setting. Guardianship of the Estate focuses on finances and property, such as managing income sources, safeguarding resources, and selling property when necessary. We do both.

Care Consulting

Knowing what kind of care and help your loved one needs can be overwhelming, especially when you need to navigate the world of caregiving, long term care facilities, Medicaid, and Medicare. We can assess your situation and put together a detailed plan of care that meets all of your loved ones needs.

POA Services

By far the fastest growing part of our work is with individuals who need a professional to serve in some capacity in their Estate Plans, whether that be a Durable POA, Medical POA, Declaration of Guardianship, or someone to simply make final arrangements when the time comes. We love getting to know and grow with clients long before they may ever need our help. Schedule a phone consultation to learn more.

We are a team of Texas Board Certified Guardians with over 90yrs combined experience in social services.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are your qualifications?

We have a combined 90 years of combined experience in Guardianship, and even more in the field of disability services. We are Texas Board Certified Guardians, Licensed Master Social Workers, Registered Nurses, Certified Life Coaches, and have multiple graduate degrees. We renew our Guardianship Certification every 2yrs with the JBCC by attending and conducting approved trainings and continuing education. We deliberately hire candidates with diverse working backgrounds so we have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to draw on. Above all, we love working with people and our passion for Guardianship drives us to work harder.

What are your rates?

We bill $105hr and .655 cents per mile for mileage reimbursement. This is the standard rate for professional guardians and is less than most geriatric case managers. We do not have a minimum charge or mandatory minimum for time, we simply bill for the time we spend and we strive to be as efficient as possible. For people seeking to name us as Agent under Medical POA in their estate plans we charge $500 annually until such a time that our services are needed. This fee covers one in-person meeting and file maintenance.

Do you have experience working with persons with Dementia and Alzheimer’s?

That’s what we’ve been doing all day, every day, for over a decade. Knowing how to communicate with people with dementia is one of the things that makes us so great at our job.

How often do you see your Clients?

We are required by law to see our clients at least once a month, but we prefer to see our clients more frequently than that. Better supervision = better care. We are careful with our time as to not create unnecessary costs to their Estates. Most of our visits occur 2-3x a month.

What are your working hours? What happens if there is an emergency on the weekend?

We typically work during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm) but we are on call 24hrs a day 7 days a week. Sometimes we choose to work on the weekends because our clients need to be seen at that time or it makes more sense for our own family’s schedules. Our time with our own families is invaluable, so we try to not respond to issues outside of our chosen working hours unless it’s urgent.

Have you ever dealt with complex family dynamics?

The vast majority of our cases involve complex family dynamics or family dysfunction. Simply put, most happy and harmonious families don’t need a private Guardian to intervene. We have seen and heard it all. Many. many of our clients have a mental health diagnosis in addition to a primary diagnosis of dementia, traumatic brain injury, or intellectual disability.

Do you communicate with the family members of your clients?

Absolutely. We want the family members of our clients to be informed about their loved one, and their insight and values are hugely important in our decision making process. That being said, we often have to navigate family members who disagree about care decisions and ultimately prioritize the wishes and best interest of our clients. Sometimes the behavior of a family member prevents us from being able to work with them, such as when there has been abuse or neglect of our client. If the family members of our clients can’t be kind and courteous toward us we may also choose not to communicate with them. We will never be less than respectful to our clients and family members, and we expect the same from them.

How do you make decisions about your clients’ care?

We use a decision making principle called “Substitute Judgment,” followed by “Best Interest.” We first ask ourselves and collaterals what decision would our client have made for themselves, if they could make that decision. Simply put: what would he/she want? The next question we have to ask is “What is in his or her best interest?” Throughout that process, we are talking to our clients, talking to their caregivers and doctors, and talking to family members. We aren’t perfect but we always try to have a wholistic view of the situation. Lastly, we do everything we can to protect our clients’ freedom and rights while protecting them from harm. If it sounds like tight-rope walking, it’s because it is!

How do you select placements or caregivers?

We never align ourselves or contract with one specific care facility or caregiving agency. Every choice is made on a case by case basis based on our clients’ needs. We never accept “kick-backs” or incentives from providers. We are continually updating our resource list and eliminating providers who aren’t meeting our standards.

Can I have a list of references who can vouch for your skills and qualifications?

We will happily give you the names and contact information of probate attorneys and service providers for references. Confidentiality prevents us from sharing the names of our clients or their family members.

Find out more about Guardianship, Case Management, and Referrals

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