Guardianship Stories & Insights

Read stories, commentary, and reflections on adult guardianship, supported decision-making, and related policy efforts.

Real Stories. Real People. Real Impact.

These stories offer a closer look at the lived experiences behind policy change — from families navigating complex legal systems to professionals shaping new standards of care.

Thirty Years On: Scott Harshbarger on the Future of Guardianship in Massachusetts - Massachusetts Guardianship Policy Institute

Newsletter Issue #5 – August 2026

In this issue, we reflect on the past, present, and future of guardianship: from Scott Harshbarger’s perspective on unfinished reform in Massachusetts to new legislative efforts, organizational partnerships, and the people making person-centered guardianship possible every day. 

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2 While both “unbefriended” and “unrepresented” are commonly used to refer to the population of concern to the Institute, we use the latter in this Report, as being more technically correct and less distracting than the other, more emotive term. In using the term, we do not intend to imply anything about legal representation.

1 Moye, J., et al., Ethical Concerns and Procedure Pathways for Patients Who are Incapacitated and Alone, HEC Forum DOI 10.1007/s10730‐016‐9317‐9 (published online), p. 4 (Jan. 13, 2017.