(a) The general assembly recognizes that many elderly persons in the state are unable to meet essential requirements for their physical health or to manage essential aspects of their financial resources. The general assembly finds that private conservatorship is inadequate where there are no willing and responsible family members or friends to serve as conservator and where the disabled person does not have adequate resources for the compensation of a private conservator, or to pay legal and court costs. The general assembly intends through this chapter to establish a statewide public conservatorship program to aid disabled persons who are sixty (60) years of age or older who have no family member or friend who is willing and able to serve as conservator.

(b) The general assembly intends to promote the general welfare by establishing a public guardianship system that permits the disabled elderly to determinatively participate as fully as possible in all decisions that affect them, that assists such persons to regain or develop their capacities to the maximum extent possible, and that accomplishes such objectives through the use of the least intrusive alternatives. This chapter shall be liberally construed to accomplish these purposes. It is the intent of the general assembly that nothing contained in this chapter will affect the powers of the court under chapters 1, 2 and 3 of this title, nor create additional powers not contained in chapters 1, 2 and 3 of this title. The district public guardian shall not serve in more than one (1) capacity in any one (1) proceeding under chapters 1, 2 and 3 of this title.