Becoming a Guardian is Easy and Rewarding

No special skills or schedules are required. Guardian Support Services works with volunteers throughout the county that are willing to serve as guardians for elderly incompetent nursing home residents. Guardians are unpaid, but many of them feel that the rewards are unmeasurable.

Guardian Support Services’ volunteers are not financial guardians. They do not handle the estate, sell houses, or have access to the ward’s personal finances. Instead, the volunteer guardian is the go-to person for health care decisions.

There are over 2,000 cases of adult guardianship in Stark County. Many of these ‘wards’ have no family or friends to serve as guardians for them. That’s where you and Guardian Support Services (GSS) come in. Our volunteers are teachers, nurses, homemakers, and businessmen and women. It takes no special skill to be a guardian. All that is necessary is a sincere desire to help someone. Some wards can communicate well, others cannot, but their faces light up when they see their guardian.

How To Apply
Please fill out and submit the form below or contact us today to become a volunteer.
Guardian Support Services, Inc.
408 9th St SW
Canton, OH 44707
Apply Today!

GSS GUARDIAN:

  • Become the ‘go to’ person for the care facility
  • Become an advocate for the ward
  • Guardians fill a void in the life of the ward
  • Become a FRIEND!

GSS GUARDIANS ARE
REQUIRED TO:

  • Visit the ward at least once per month
  • Complete an application
  • Pass a background check
  • Attend initial training
  • Attend yearly training
  • Complete yearly guardian’s report
  • There is no handling of money or funds

GSS PROVIDES SUPPORT
FOR GUARDIANS BY:

  • Providing all forms and reminders
  • Providing all training – free of charge
  • Being available as a resource and to answer questions.

Interested in learning more about becoming a volunteer guardian? Read our FAQ’s.
Read our FAQ's