measures generally suffice for medical decisions, financial matters often require voluntary measures, which appear inconsistently recognized in practice. When voluntary arrangements are not feasible, adult guardianship measures may offer legal clarity. Although some international rights bodies call for the abolition of substituted decision-making regimes like adult guardianship, this study highlights their practicality in certain contexts. The findings call for legal and policy frameworks that both empower informal caregivers and safeguard the well-being of older adults.
Nieuwboer et al. (2026) studied this question.