PROTECTING PERSONS WITH SEVERE COGNITIVE AND MENTAL-DISORDERS - AN ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC CONSERVATORSHIP IN LOS-ANGELES-COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

The purpose of this article is to begin the identification of factors that place older adults at risk for conservatorship. This study, condu cted on a sample of 2,151 adult public conservatees in Los Angeles, ex amines the characteristics of conservatees in the civil commitment (n = 1,565) and Probate (n = 566) programs. A subsample of conservatees a ged 70 and above (n = 623) was selected for comparison to a nationally representative sample of adults aged 70 and above (n = 8,223). Findin gs show marked differences between the two types of conservatorship, w ith characteristics of young conservatees similar to those in the civi l commitment program, and older conservatees similar to those in the P robate program. Compared to older adults nationwide, older public cons ervatees (70+) are much older, more likely to suffer from dementia, to be physically impaired, and far less affluent than their nationwide c ounterparts. In addition, older conservatees are less likely to have a vailable family members, implying social isolation as a risk factor fo r public conservatorship. A small number (n = 10) of conservatees were identified who do not appear to have any risk factors for conservator ship. Rather, these conservatees (less than 0.5% of the sample) 'age i n place' without documented need for conservatorship.