Elder Mediation – Essential Conversations

Elder mediation can be helpful in several different ways and the mediator can be engaged by the elder person or the family.

• If the elder person remains very capable of managing their own affairs yet the family is struggling to initiate a conversation whereby they offer extra help around the home or health care coordination, we can help to initiate and mediate the conversation.
• If there is a family rivalry or deep misunderstanding that has compromised the quality of relationships and it’s important to resolve the matter once and for all so the family can move on, whether it be in harmony or in separate directions, we can help you to achieve that reunion, or closure.
• If someone is intentionally or unintentionally usurping the elder person’s independence, believing to know what is best for the elder person, we can facilitate a mediation that will provide education about aging and establish boundaries of respect.

Elder Mediators

• are experts skilled in helping families talk about and resolve conflict over the many issues facing aging parents. We are skilled at deescalating conflict to preserve relationships at difficult times.
• understand family dynamics and assist to transform conflict into harmony, leveraging quality of life for aging parents and healing where sibling rivalry may have existed.
• if requested, will provide a Memorandum of Understanding that can help the parties stay focused on achieving the goals they agreed upon.

To discuss if mediation is the right choice for your family, please contact:

Dan Silver, Psychotherapist, Registered Social Worker #422500, M.S. Ed, Family & Elder Mediator, Capacity Assessor designated under the Substitute Decisions Act, 1992

Affiliations: Ontario Association of Family Mediation, Ontario Association of Social Workers and Collaborative Practice Niagara.

Phone: 905 933 3406

The following article was found on the FMC website. Much more information about Elder Mediation can be found at the links below.

Elder Mediation is a focused, respectful process – usually multi-party, multi-issue and intergenerational – whereby a trained Elder Mediator ensures, as much as possible, that all who need to be are present in the mediation. The mediator facilitates discussions focusing on present strengths and assists participants in exploring any issues or concerns. This form of mediation often involves many people related to the issues, such as family members, caregivers, organizations, agencies and a variety of service providers and networks.

Elder Mediation is based on a wellness model that promotes a person-centred approach for all participants; it is mindful of the older person(s) while respecting the rights of each person participating. Regardless of the numbers present, each person is unique with his or her own narrative, intrinsic value, strengths and weaknesses. Through the Elder Mediation lens, aging is viewed as part of a continuing process of development and change, rather than just a period of physical and cognitive decline.

The specialty of Elder Mediation has a preventive component. Where people know about the service and are referred early enough, conflict can be prevented or minimized. Elder Mediation can also enable participants and families to plan in advance – for example in relation to potential care requirements – thereby ensuring that the voice of the older person is included in future decisions. Elder Mediation can reduce the overall stress in family systems and has been shown to have health and wellness implications, enhancing the functionality of the family support network, heightening interpersonal communications and often delaying the need for institutional care. Where institutional care is involved, Elder Mediation can facilitate conversations between the older person, family members and care/service providers.

Many national organizations are aware of the value of Elder Mediation and support the inclusion of Elder Mediation as part of a continuum of quality care. However, they must be confident that the Elder Mediators, to whom they are referring, are informed and appropriately qualified in mediation practices and processes, and knowledgeable of, and sensitized to, aging and age-related issues.

 An Elder Mediator is a person who is professionally trained in Elder Mediation theories and practices along with its preventive and wellness aspects. The Elder Mediator facilitates communication among the participants and assists them toward mutually beneficial outcomes.

Elder Mediation

Intergenerational Mediation (formerly Elder Mediation)

http://www.Mediate.com

https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cj-jp/fv-vf/mp-pm/p1.html