It has been called a "civil death."

Guardianship usurps the autonomy and fundamental decision-making rights of an individual, when found to be "incapacitated." It is an issue that has the attention and efforts of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and Pennsylvania legislature, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Senate, and families, attorneys, judges and advocates around the nation. Ripe for abuse and exploitation, guardianship has enormous economic and personal impact, affecting billions of dollars and thousands of families and individuals. As of March 1, in Pennsylvania alone, there are 19,502 active guardianship cases, supervising over $1.6 billion in assets.