What A Conservatorships Is

Sometimes called guardianship (depending on the state), a conservatorship is a legal arrangement whereby a conservator (or guardian) is appointed to make decisions on the incapacitated person's, behalf when they are found unable to manage daily life without being a danger to themselves or others. 

Conservatorship mostly deals with the management of the conservatee's finances, whereas guardianship deals with everyday care, such as help around the home, with medical care, etc. Britney Spears's conservatorship allows for both.

There are an estimated 1.5 million adults under guardianship in the U.S