Guardianship is a legal process, and should be used only as a last resort. Guardianship clients have severe memory loss, dementia, and cognitive impairments that seriously jeopardize their health and well-being. Many clients have experienced self-neglect, physical abuse and/or financial exploitation. A guardian is appointed only when it has been determined that the client lacks decision-making capacity and must have a surrogate decision-maker appointed to advocate for services and give informed consent for medical procedures.