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歡迎收聽「長者法網智多聲」。在香港，處理精神上無行為能力人士的主要法例，是《精神健康條例》。條例界定了精神上無行為能力人士，可以是精神紊亂或弱智，聽起來好像跟大部份人沒有甚麼關係，但想清楚一點，沒有人可以肯定自己會否患上癡呆症（即腦退化症），變成精神上無行為能力。所以，老友記或家人都不妨了解一下《精神健康條例》的內容，看看這條條例，可以為精神上無行為能力人士和家人，提供甚麼協助。
《精神健康條例》授權有關機關作出命令，委任監護人或受託監管人，協助精神上無行為能力人士及照顧他的人。
那麼「監護」和「受託監管」有甚麼分別呢？簡單來說，監護主要是照顧精神上無行為能力人士的福利，照顧他的日常生活。而受託監管就比較著重處理當事人的財務資產，受託監管人無權代表精神上無行為能力人士，同意接受醫療或牙科治療，亦無權決定他住在哪裡。不過，實際上，管理財產事務和護理治療的事，無可能完全分開處理，所以，受託監管人既然有權支付護老院和醫院的費用，間接也可以決定當事人住在哪間護老院或醫院。總括來看，如果精神上無行為能力的人是比較富裕的話，受託監管應該比較適合，但申請的法律程序亦相對複雜，最好還是找律師幫忙。
無論是監護還是受託監管申請，當局都要先確認當事人是否屬於精神上無行為能力，之後再考慮各種因素，才作出命令。而兩種申請都要依照特定的程序進行，詳情可參考長者社區法網文字版。
有效期方面，監護令的有效期，第一次不會超過一年，至於續期或再次續期的監護令，有效期會由續期起計，不超過三年。如果時間緊迫，監護委員會有權作出緊急監護令，這種監護令的有效期不會超過三個月。但受託監管人的命令，就不會訂明固定任期。受託監管人可以獨立行事，但會受到法庭監督，每年要向法庭呈交財產明細表。跟監護令一樣，如果情況緊急，法庭可以委任臨時接管人先接管財產，再等待進行法庭程序。如果想了解更多監護和受託監管，記得到我們的網頁慢慢看了。拜拜。
PrintGuardianship – The application
1. Application for guardianship can be made only by:
- a relative of the person concerned;
- a social worker;
- a registered medical practitioner; or
- a public officer in the Social Welfare Department;
- and the applicant must have personally seen the person concerned within 14 days prior to the application.
2. The requirements for application for guardianship are as follows:
- The applicant has to complete the prescribed form and lodge it with the Guardianship Board, together with written reports from two registered medical practitioners.
- The applicant must state in the application form the age of the person concerned.
- Of the two medical reports, at least one must be given by a medical practitioner approved by the Hospital Authority as having special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorders, or having special experience in the assessment or determination of a mental handicap, as the case may be. A list of the approved doctors can be found on the website of the Guardianship Board.
3. Upon receiving an application for guardianship, the Guardianship Board will send copies of the application to the following persons:
- the person concerned, i.e. the person alleged to be mentally incapacitated;
- any relative of the person concerned whom the Guardianship Board considers fit, unless it is the relative who made the application; and
- the Director of Social Welfare, unless it is a public officer in the Social Welfare Department who made the application;
- so that these persons will have the chance to present their views to the Guardianship Board.
4. The Guardianship Board will also call for a social enquiry report from the Director of Social Welfare. This report must contain the views and wishes of the person concerned, insofar as they may be ascertained, and include an assessment of the his/her family background, and social and financial situation.