Guardianship appointment: current status in Israel.

The appointment of a guardian is an important complex process that significantly infringes upon the individuals liberty and autonomy; however it is a necessary paternalistic intervention when called for. The law does not provide precise criteria for the appointment of a guardian, though physicians have tried to determine criteria for the initiation of the process. The authors present a review of the various aspects of the assessment of the need for guardianship and the appointment process for guardians for adults in Israel. The medical document that will ultimately determine the need for the appointment of a guardian for an elderly person should be the product of a comprehensive medical, psychiatric and cognitive evaluation and an accurate evaluation of competence.