GUARDIANSHIP BOARD DECISIONS

YEAR 2025

	Date of Decisions	Case Summary
1.	Review (10/1/2025)	Subject was a man aged 48 who suffered from traumatic brain injury from a traffic accident. His elder brother acted as the guardian and the mother acted as the main carer visiting the Subject daily. The Subject's recovery had been promising and the family wish to take the Subject back to their home base for long term care when his conditions allow. Pending this arrangement, the Guardianship Order was renewed for 3 years with his elder brother continuing as the guardian. (Uploaded on 9/7/2025)
2.	Review (14/1/2025)	Subject was a man aged 70 who suffered from vascular dementia. His daughter acted as the guardian. His personal savings was exhausted and he was offered and just admitted to a subvented care home placement. The Subject would continue to draw on his welfare money through his daughter as his appointee to receive them. Since his Guardianship Order was originally applied for to mobilize the Subject's personal savings, it was not renewed upon expiry. (Uploaded on 9/7/2025)
3.	Review (20/1/2025)	Subject was a woman aged 94 who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. She was a childless widow and her relatives could not be located in the social enquiry. During the guardianship period, a Niece was found to have visited the Subject occasionally but she could not be more involved in the Subject's care plan and welfare or act as the guardian due to her old age. The Subject remained stable residing at a subsidized residential care placement, so the Guardianship Order was renewed for the maximum term of 3 years with the Director of Social Welfare continuing as the guardian. (Uploaded on 9/7/2025)
4.	Application (24/1/2025)	Subject was a woman aged 26 who suffered from mental handicap. The application was first made in November 2023 and the hearing was adjourned in May 2024 to allow the Board and the social enquiry report writer to consider certain new information submitted by one of the parties only at the hearing. There was serious conflict between two camps of the Subject's relatives over the care of the Subject. One camp was concerned that the Subject will be taken out of Hong Kong permanently, while the other camp suspected the other side insisted to take care of the Subject solely to qualify for a bigger public housing unit. As the conflict cannot be resolved, the Board appointed the Director of Social Welfare as the guardian and encouraged the two camps to reconcile and co-operate on a feasible and stable plan for the Subject with the public guardian acting as a neutral intermediary between them. (Uploaded on 9/7/2025)
5.	Application (13/2/2025)	Subject was a woman aged 59 who suffered from a cerebral vascular accident. She was single and used to live with her father and elder brother but has been hospitalized since she suffered from that accident in last August. The application was made to mobilize the Subject's savings as it is expected that the Subject needed to receive residential care service in light of her intensive care needs. The applicant was another elder brother of the Subject and had taken steps to terminate his business across the border to return to Hong Kong to take care of the Subject. The applicant was appointed as the guardian for one year to manage the ongoing welfare and finance needs of the Subject. The Subject would be eligible to apply for long term care upon her reaching 60 if there is a proven need. (Uploaded on 9/7/2025)
6.	Application (24/2/2025)	Subject was a man aged 66 who suffered from a cerebral vascular accident. The Subject was not based in Hong Kong and the guardianship application was made by the younger brother of the Subject to mobilize his bank accounts in Hong Kong. The Subject and his family had no plan to return to Hong Kong and he only came back to Hong Kong briefly to handle certain matters. As it was considered impossible to supervise the guardianship when the Subject is permanently based overseas, the application was dismissed. The Board considered that the applicant may seek independent legal advice on a Part II application to the High Court. (Uploaded on 9/7/2025)
7.	Application (24/2/2025)	Subject was a woman aged 90 who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. An emergency guardianship application was made by her daughter to give consent for the Subject to undergo a surgery to treat skin cancer. After the application was made, the Subject was re-assessed by the psychiatrist to be capable of making her own decisions about the medical treatment. The Subject attended the hearing in person with her two daughters and they told the Board that the Subject has agreed to proceed with the surgery. The Board accepted the withdrawal of the guardianship application. (Uploaded on 9/7/2025)