Elder Care

ELDER MEDIATION

Elder mediation is a specialty area within the field of family mediation and provides a process to help elders and the people in their lives discuss and work through the many challenging decisions that affect their quality-of-life.

	ELDER ISSUES Whether seniors still live at home, live with a family member, or are now residing in assisted living or other care facility, issues arise that can lead to conflict. Such issues may include: Disputes among family members regarding: Balancing responsibilities among siblings Caregiver burnout Whether the elder should stop/continue driving Living arrangements Living will and/or Health directives Estate/Probate matters Guardianship/Conservatorship issues End-of-life decisions Disputes between families and residential or in-home care staff
		TRANSFORMATIVE MEDIATION River Group mediators practice transformative mediation. In the transformative model, the mediator's role is to remain neutral, facilitate a respectful process, and support the parties as they work to resolve their differences in a mutually satisfying way. Transformative mediation allows participants to maintain their personal integrity while giving greater consideration to each other. This is especially important in mediating elder issues. River Group mediators encourage elders to participate fully (with or without a personal representative) so as to affirm their dignity and autonomy. Relationships are preserved and even improved.

COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

Transformative Mediation provides a great framework for mediating disputes concerning the needs and wants of older family members. River Group mediators use a holistic approach to the broad spectrum of issues we all face as we age. We are able and willing to work in partnership with other professionals, such as your financial adviser or your attorney.

The mediator facilitates a healthy dialogue among all concerned parties and provides participants with a process for approaching future conflicts and disputes.

For more information:

Elder Decisions in Elder Mediation article
Tough Elder Decisions: The Mediation Option article
Elder Mediation Wall Street Journal article

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