When must a guardian prioritize the privacy of the person under their care?

Prioritizing the privacy of the person under a guardian's care is essential in situations involving the disclosure of sensitive information. Guardians have a legal and ethical obligation to protect the confidentiality of the individual they represent. This means that any information pertaining to the person's health, finances, or personal circumstances should only be shared with authorized parties and only when necessary. Ensuring privacy in these contexts helps build trust, protects the individual's dignity, and safeguards against potential misuse of information.

While other situations, such as engaging in financial decisions, interacting with the community, or planning medical interventions, involve considerations of the individual's best interests and may require some level of information sharing, they do not carry the same direct obligation of confidentiality as the disclosure of sensitive information. In those scenarios, privacy may still be important, but the primary emphasis in those contexts is on decision-making and advocacy rather than on confidentiality itself.