Sometimes people suffer from diseases that impair their ability to understand financial or medical information or their ability to take care of themselves. In these situations, a family member or friend can ask a judge to appoint him or her to be a conservator for the impaired person. When a conservator is appointed by a judge, the ill person loses the right to make medical and financial decisions on his or her own. The conservator now makes those decisions. The conservator, then, is responsible to the supervising judge, who makes sure the conservator acts only in the ill person's best interests and does everything possible to make the ill person comfortable, happy, and financially secure. In order for a judge to appoint a conservator, there must be very strong evidence that the ill person is completely unable to manage his or her finances or to resist fraud or undue influence. There could also be strong evidence that the ill person is unable to properly provide for his or her needs of food, clothing, and shelter. Conservators typically must post a bond so that if there are any financial losses through their theft or mismanagement, the bond will replace the losses like an insurance policy. For more information on conservatorships, please consult an attorney in your area.