Elder Care Mediation

 

There are many concerns and issues that arise within the family as we all age and grow older. Sometimes family members, including senior family members, are at a loss as to how to have conversations around these types of concerns and issues. Some of these are simple and some are complex. In either case mediation can help balance the voice of independence that is important to senior family members, while giving adult children the space to express their concerns. All can explore these simple and complex concerns and issues together in a neutral safe environment.
 
The goal is to bring family members together to have a discussion about what is in the best interest of their senior family member(s) with the senior’s in-put, if possible.
Kate can provide mediation for adult siblings and their parents as they work through issues such as:

    * Loss of independence
    * Care-giving options within or outside of the family
    * Living arrangements
    * Financial concerns
    * Medical concerns
    * Assessment of standard of care
    * Estate concerns

Becoming Familiar with Mediation
All family members begin with an “intake” process which occurs over the telephone. The mediation process will be explained and all family members involved will be given the opportunity to participate in mediation. Once intakes have been completed potential participants will be scheduled for a mediation session.
 
Sometimes, Elder Care Mediation works best if the mediation is held in the home or the facility where the senior family member resides. Kate will come to the home or the facility or participants can come to her office.
 
The goal of mediation is to open the lines of communication so all will be able to hear and understand all the thoughts and interests that the family has around a concern.  Once all have been heard, any and all decisions made by the family will be written into a Memorandum of Understanding or MOU which will help to guide the family as they move forward.  All MOUs can be revisited when changes occur in the family by returning to mediation.  Families can return if new concerns or issues arise.