Elder Mediation

Elder care issues and elder care decisions define the final chapter in the story of our lives. There are a lot of changes occurring and a lot of decisions to make.  This stage can be even more challenging because of long-standing family hurts and communication problems. We all know, families can be complicated.  Elder Care Mediation offers an opportunity for family members to come together to make decisions about family relations, medical care, living arrangements, financial and estate planning, and other issues surrounding the elder and family quality of life, with the help of a knowledgeable and caring professional.   Mediation presents an opportunity to be heard and understood as well as to understand others in a new light and new context.  It’s not about blame or finger pointing.  It’s about moving forward to a better future.  Elder Care mediators act as facilitators for improving conversations and decision making, including relational decisions, together.  The process is voluntary and confidential.  The mediator is unbiased and supportive in helping all parties be heard and understood.  We hold a safe place for understanding and exploring options, finding solutions that can transform conflicts from intractable to solvable and grow relationships from divisive and blaming, to cooperative and connected.   A family will work collaboratively to decide a variety of things such as: legal power of attorney, last will, trusts, estates, living arrangements, healthcare, and much more.  Often, the elder will be a part of the conversation so that his or her wishes are heard upheld in the decision-making process. 

With any conflict, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.   Mediation is also encouraged as a tool for early estate planning and end of life decision making.  If a plan is developed early on, tough choices need not be made during a difficult time.  

Elder Care Mediation is a better alternative to going to court. When a family chooses to go to court to settle disputes, the judge ultimately makes the decision. The costs to relationships are high.  The process creates wounds and divisions that may never heal.  On the other hand, during the mediation process the family works together to find solutions for the issues surrounding the elder’s care for the purpose of creating the best outcome for all individuals involved. Another important difference between going to court and mediation is the cost. Legal fees are far more expensive than the cost of mediation. Through collaborative efforts with the mediator, the family, and the elder, have an opportunity to create the story of their family with the best ending.  Our story is our legacy.  And in stories, endings matter.