What is an Eldercare Advocate?
I assist elders and their families with important decision-making and planning that will create calmer life transitions. As a trained Mediator, Guardian and Eldercaring Coordinator, I can facilitate communication about the sensitive conversations which surround decision-making to prepare the important documents and transitions which will protect the best interests of the elder. I can act as a surrogate family member to help navigate and communicate when you or other family members are not in a position to assist your elderly family member personally.
These situations could include:
- Living a long distance from the senior
- Not knowing the senior’s preferences
- Needing assistance with communication on behalf of senior
- Needing assistance addressing concerns with those providing assistance to the senior
- Not being accessible to address issues due to professional or family commitments
I can help families create a master plan, getting all of the important information they need to know to help their senior become organized in one place.
What is Elder Care Mediation?
Elder care mediation is an amazing method for families to use when they are faced with having to have difficult conversations with their aging family members. This can be initiated by the elder or the elder’s children and other family members. In mediation, all topics pertaining to how the elder will continue to live as full a life as possible can be discussed among family and their elder parent. Topics may include, whether Mom or Dad can still safely drive, hiring help for certain tasks, living arrangements such as a senior community, assisted living facility, a convalescent home, or living with a child or other family member, determining your parent’s end of life decisions and safeguarding that they are properly documented.
The most important part of elder mediation is ensuring that the elder’s wants and wishes are heard and making sure that they are a part of the decision making process, if that is a possibility.
Topics taken into consideration are Mom/Dad’s happiness; any safety and health concerns; financial concerns; estate planning; residence decisions; social needs; caregiver roles and responsibilities; and how to handle future decision making.
Goals of Mediation
Mediation is designed to provide a plan for your elder’s future with which everyone can live, as this plan is a collaborative commitment between all family members and everyone needs to take their commitment seriously so that other family members don’t have additional responsibilities added to their own commitments, causing stress, frustration and possible conflict.
Mediation is a voluntary, confidential process facilitated by a neutral third party, and is often the best way to have difficult conversations before conflict even happens.
Before a Conflict Occurs
I will help your family have those important, but challenging conversations. I can facilitate your family’s conversations about how Mom, Dad, or both parents will live their senior years in a manner which encourages healthy, active and social lifestyles for as long as possible. We can also address concerns such as money, living arrangements, medical needs, spiritual needs and even end of life needs.
It is important for the family to learn that everyone will have a role in their senior parent’s lives and to determine the best role(s) for each. It is also important that Mom and Dad are a part of all decision making and that their wishes and desires are honored as much as possible to preserve their dignity as they progress through this important stage of life.
These conversations are never easy and should be handled carefully and with the upmost respect to the aging parent. Let me help you have these tough conversations by providing a neutral space where we can help everyone tackle one issue at a time and do so in a calm and respectful way that provides an outcome which benefits the family caregivers as well as the parent(s). I can help you identify what your roles will be and create a plan to perform your role successfully.
The benefits of mediation include:
- It is much less expensive than litigation
- It produces rapid settlements and decisions which hold up over time
- You can achieve mutually satisfactory outcomes – Agreements are Better than Simple Compromises or Win/Lose Outcomes
- There is a high rate of compliance
- You can create comprehensive and customized agreements
- You have a greater degree of control and predictability of outcome
- You can achieve personal empowerment
- It allows preservation of an ongoing relationship
- You can achieve workable and implementable decisions