Elder Care-Adult Family Mediation
“We went from not knowing what to do to agreeing on virtually everything or compromising happily."
Comment from an elder care mediation participant, Wall Street Journal, “A Referee for Family Disputes.”
Elder Care/Adult Family mediation is designed to help families make decisions about how to best manage the needs of aging family members and loved ones. These decisions may involve care-giving, estate planning, housing, insurance, end-of-life planning, communication and family relationships. The ever-changing situations of older adults may create tension within families as they grapple with new and stressful issues. This stress is often complicated by illness, which may make the older adult feel as if he or she is losing control. Mediation provides a safe environment in which the entire family can express their feelings and concerns. In addition to giving the older adult a broader network of support, it can help to avoid misunderstandings and hurt feelings among other family members.
Elder Care/Adult Family Mediation:
- Ensures that every family member has input
- Is private, voluntary and confidential
- Allows the elder to participate in the decision-making process
- Facilitates informed, structured decisions
- Fosters communication between family members
- Preserves ongoing relationships