What is Elder Mediation?
Elder mediation involves family members and/or caregivers who are associated with an older person or aging parents in need of assistance in helping to make the best choices for their care.
There are many possible age-related issues that can affect families and caregivers of aging people. More often than not, siblings of aging parents find themselves at odds in deciding what’s best for their parent or parents. These highly emotional and important decisions sometimes are best resolved with the help of an unbiased, third party.
People tend to more likely be on their ‘best’ behaviour in front of a stranger, and when we are more emotionally in control, we can make better choices and think clearer. A mediator will assist the family/caregivers involved to work out issues/barriers, and help to focus in on the best interests of the older person or persons in need of support. The informal and supportive environment of mediation allows for a more comfortable and open setting for cooperative decisions to be mutually agreed upon and differences resolved.
Elder Mediation Issues:
- Health care & medical decisions
- Living and caregiving arrangements (e.g. Remain at home; move to continuing care or long-term care communities; arrange for help in the home; move in with one of their children)
- Family business
- Driving
- Religious issues (e.g. If an older adult moves to a retirement home or in with a child, how will he/she get to his/her church?)
- Financial matters
- Relationship issues (Including intergenerational relationships, blended families, new marriages)
- End of life decisions
- Guardianship
- Abuse and neglect
- Estate planning
- Ageist issues (e.g. Negative stereotypes, few media representations, negative language, such as ‘over-the-hill,’ employment discrimination)
- Wills/power of attorney/power of person questions
Mediation Solutions 