PHOTO PROVIDED
GUEST SPEAKER … Joan Horne, Volunteer Guardian Program Coordinator, spoke to the Stryker Rotary at their regular meeting on April 25th. The Guardian Program has been a service provided by the Williams County Department of Aging sense 2011. Joan has worked for the Department of Ageing for eleven years. The program is designed to provide a method for authorizing medical care and counseling for wards who are not capable of making those decisions on their own. They insure the ward is having their basic needs met and living in the least restrictive environment possible. They also execute documents on the ward’s behalf. A volunteer guardian must apply for the position and must be a resident of the state, a law abiding citizen, and at least 21 years of age. The application process includes a background check, an interview with the program coordinator followed by training for the responsibilities of the position. Volunteer guardians are appointed by the court. The guardians are also expected to make regular visits with their wards. Guardians are assigned for life and currently the Department of Aging program has seven Wards served by three Volunteer Guardians. Joan Horne, on the right is pictured with Stryker Rotarian Betty Beck.