Protecting Persons With Severe Cognitive and Mental Disorders: An Analysis of Public Conservatorship in Los Angeles County, California

This article begins to identify the factors that place older adults at risk for conservatorship. Comaprisons are drawn between the characteristics of adult public conservatees in the civil commitment and Probate programs in Los Angeles, between young and old conservatees, and then between old conservatees and adults nationwide who are part of the AHEAD sample. Findings show obvious differences between the two types of conservatees. Individuals in the Probate program have the characteristics of young conservatees while adults in the civil commitment program have the characteristics of older conservatees and have less available family memebers, implying social isolation as a risk factor for older adults for public conservatorship. Compared to older adults nationwide, older public conservatees (70 and older) are much older, more likely to suffer from dementia, to be physically impaired, and are far less affluent. This comparison suggests that older adults in public conservatorship in Los Angeles appear to reflect the correct target population for such a service, socially isolated and highly impaired adults.