PAT M. KEITH is Professor and Assistant Dean in the Graduate Department of Sociology at Iowa State University. Dr. Keith is coauthor of Role Relationships and Well-Being over the Life Cycle (Praeger, 1991) and author of The Unmarried in Later Life (Praeger, 1989).ROBBYN R. WACKER is Associate Professor in the Department of Human Services at the University of Northern Colorado. Dr. Wacker has been author or coauthor of several chapters and refereed journal articles dealing with the elderly.

• Tables and FiguresAcknowledgmentsIntroductionProceduresConcerns about the Guardianship Process: A Review of the LiteratureCan You Spell "World" Backward? Assessing Incapacity in Guardianship HearingsBecoming a Ward: Characteristics of Wards and Their GuardiansPathways to GuardianshipThemes of Meaning in the Guardianship ExperienceRole Strain of Male and Female Guardians: Tests of Two ModelsThe Context of Guardianship Legislation in Selected StatesGuardianship Reform: Do Revised Statutes Make a Difference in Outcomes for Prospective Wards?Use of Recommended Guardianship Practices and Outcomes for Older Prospective WardsA Concluding Glimpse of Wards and Their GuardianshipsAppendixReferencesIndex