Iowa Code § 633.635
Responsibilities of guardian
Redline — January 1, 2012 → current.View current text →
Current — January 1, 2026
As of January 1, 2012
1. Based upon the evidence produced at the hearing, the court may grant a guardian the following powers and duties which may be exercised without prior court approval:
a. Providing for the care, comfort and maintenance of the ward, including the appropriate training and education to maximize the ward’s potential.
1. The order by the court appointing a guardian shall state the factual basis for the guardianship pursuant to section 633.552 and the date on which the first reporting period for the guardianship shall end.
2. An order by the court appointing a guardian for an adult shall state the powers granted to the guardian until such time as the guardian files an initial care plan and such plan is approved by the court as required by section 633.669. Except as otherwise limited by an order appointing a guardian for an adult, the court may grant a guardian the following powers :
a. Making decisions regarding the care, maintenance, health, education, welfare, and safety of the protected person except as otherwise limited by the court.
b. Establishing the protected person’s permanent residence except as limited by subsection 3.
c. Taking reasonable care of the protected person’s clothing, furniture, vehicle, other personal effects, and companion animals, assistive animals, assistance animals, and service animals.
d. Assisting the protected person in developing maximum self-reliance and independence.
d. Ensuring the ward receives necessary emergency medical services.
e. Ensuring the ward receives professional care, counseling, treatment, or services as needed. If necessitated by the physical or mental disability of the ward, the provision of professional care, counseling, treatment, or services limited to the provision of routine physical and dental examinations and procedures under anesthesia is included, if the anesthesia is provided within the scope of the health care practitioner’s scope of practice.
e. Consenting to and arranging for medical, dental, and other health care treatment and services for the protected person except as otherwise limited by subsection 3.
f. Consenting to and arranging for other needed professional services for the protected person.
g. Consenting to and arranging for appropriate training, educational, and vocational services for the protected person.
h. Maintaining contact, including through regular visitation with the protected person if the protected person does not reside with the guardian.
i. Making reasonable efforts to identify and facilitate supportive relationships and interactions of the protected person with family members and significant other persons. The guardian may place reasonable time, place, or manner restrictions on communication, visitation, or interaction between the adult protected person and another person except as otherwise limited by subsection 3.
j. Any other powers or duties the court may specify.
3. Notwithstanding subsection 2, a guardian may be granted the following powers which may only be exercised upon court approval:
a. Changing, at the guardian’s request, the ward’s permanent residence if the proposed new residence is more restrictive of the ward’s liberties than the current residence.
b. Arranging the provision of major elective surgery or any other nonemergency major medical procedure. For the purposes of this paragraph, “major elective surgery” and “nonemergency major medical procedure” do not include the provision to the ward of professional care, counseling, treatment, or services limited to the provision of routine physical and dental examinations and procedures under anesthesia, if the use of anesthesia is necessitated by the physical or mental disability of the ward, and if the anesthesia is provided within the scope of the health care practitioner’s scope of practice.
a. Changing, at the guardian’s request, the protected person’s permanent residence to a nursing home, other secure facility, or secure portion of a facility that restricts the protected person’s ability to leave or have visitors, unless advance notice of the change was included in the guardian’s initial care plan that was approved by the court. In an emergency situation, the court shall review the request for approval on an expedited basis.
b. Consenting to the following:
(1) The withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures from the protected person in accordance with chapter 144A or 144D.
3. For the purposes of this section:
a. “Routine dental examinations and procedures” includes preventive services, diagnostic services, restorative services, periodontal services, endodontic services, oral surgery, prosthetic services, and orthodontic procedures.
b. “Routine physical examinations and procedures” includes examinations and procedures performed for the purpose of general treatment or diagnosis or for the purpose of treatment or diagnosis related to a specific illness, symptom, complaint, or injury.
(2) The performance of an abortion on the protected person.
(3) The sterilization of the protected person.
c. Denying all communication, visitation, or interaction by a protected person with a person with whom the protected person has expressed a desire to communicate, visit, or interact or with a person who seeks to communicate, visit, or interact with the protected person. A court shall approve the denial of all communication, visitation, or interaction with another person only upon a showing of good cause by the guardian.
4. The court may take into account all available information concerning the capabilities of the ward and any additional evaluation deemed necessary, including the availability of third-party assistance to meet the needs of the ward or proposed ward, and may direct that the guardian have only a specially limited responsibility for the ward. In that event, the court shall state those areas of responsibility which shall be supervised by the guardian and all others shall be retained by the ward. The court may make a finding that the ward lacks the capacity to contract a valid marriage.
4. The court may take into account all available information concerning the capabilities of the respondent or the protected person and any additional evaluation deemed necessary, including the availability of third-party assistance to meet the needs of the respondent or the protected person, and may direct that the guardian have only a specially limited responsibility for the protected person. In that event, the court shall state those areas of responsibility which shall be supervised by the guardian and all others shall be retained by the protected person. The court may make a finding that the protected person lacks the capacity to contract a valid marriage.
5. From time to time, upon a proper showing, the court may modify the respective responsibilities of the guardian and the ward, after notice to the ward and an opportunity to be heard. Any modification that would be more restrictive or burdensome for the ward shall be based on clear and convincing evidence that the ward continues to fall within the categories of section 633.552, subsection 2, paragraph “a” or “b”, and that the facts justify a modification of the guardianship. Section 633.551 applies to the modification proceedings. Any modification that would be less restrictive for the ward shall be based upon proof in accordance with the requirements of section 633.675.
5. From time to time, upon a proper showing, the court may modify the respective responsibilities of the guardian and the protected person, after notice to the protected person and an opportunity to be heard. Any modification that would be more restrictive or burdensome for the protected person shall be based on clear and convincing evidence that the protected person continues to meet the basis for the appointment of a guardian pursuant to section 633.552, and that the facts justify a modification of the guardianship. Section 633.551 applies to the modification proceedings. Any modification that would be less restrictive for the protected person shall be based upon proof in accordance with the requirements of section 633.675.
84 Acts, ch 1299, §16; 85 Acts, ch 29, §7; 87 Acts, ch 100, §2; 91 Acts, ch 93, §4; 97 Acts, ch 178, §13, 14; 2000 Acts, ch 1063, §1 – 3
84 Acts, ch 1299, §16; 85 Acts, ch 29, §7; 87 Acts, ch 100, §2; 91 Acts, ch 93, §4; 97 Acts, ch 178, §13, 14; 2000 Acts, ch 1063, §1 – 3; 2015 Acts, ch 59, §1, 2; 2019 Acts, ch 56, §41, 44, 45; 2019 Acts, ch 57, §31, 43, 44; 2024 Acts, ch 1009, §25 – 27
Referred to in
Official source: Iowa Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Iowa statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.