A power of attorney status allows a designated person or persons to act on behalf of another party in a limited scope. A person can choose who they want to act in their stead as power of attorney. You can always limit what your chosen power of attorney has a say in, including specifying a medical power of attorney who can only make healthcare decisions or a financial power of attorney who only has power over financial decisions. A power of attorney can be designated through legal documents and do not require a legal process to go into effect.
Guardianships, on the other hand, require a court to approve of who will act as someone’s guardian. A guardianship is much more comprehensive in scope, as the court essentially takes away a person’s rights to make decisions and take actions for themselves and fully gives those rights to another person. The guardian can usually make a variety of legal, medical, and financial decisions for the ward. For some decisions, the guardian may need the court’s approval.