Can guardians use power of attorney to appoint someone to act for them when they are going to be unavailable?
No. A guardian may not sign a power of attorney appointing an agent to act as guardian for their ward in case of their inability to act whether due to illness, vacation, etc. To do so would circumvent the law that is designed to protect vulnerable adults, by allowing a person who had not been screened and approved by the court to perform duties on behalf of an incapacitated person. Suggestion: If a guardian knows they will not be accessible for frequent periods of time, they may want to establish a co-guardianship. The guardianship order could be structured so that the co-guardian is given authority to act only upon certain circumstances, if the original guardian did not want to share authority otherwise.
