If you are fortunate enough to have your parent or parents with you during their later years, you can understand that there comes a time when difficult – and delicate – decisions may need to be made regarding their care.
- Is mom able to take care of the house now that dad is gone?
- Is dad showing early signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s?
- Has dad been the victim of financial fraud? Would it be better if one of the kids took over the checkbook?
- Does mom need extra help with day-to-day activities? Would it be better if she moved in with one of the kids?
These are hard realities to face but when families can face the situation together and can reach agreement on how to safeguard their elder relative’s independence and finances, it is less likely to lead to hard feelings later.
Whether you are a senior citizen who wants to help your family have the conversation, or you are a younger relative who wants help broaching the subject of elder care with your siblings and older relative, contact me, Quincy family mediator Carolan Hardy.
Elder Mediation
From my office in Quincy and Hingham, I work with families to help them reach agreements on elder care decisions. It may result in the family choosing someone to be the guardian of an elder relative if he or she is not able to make decisions on his or her own behalf. Or it could be the elder family member deciding for him or herself who will pay his or her bills and make decisions if he or she becomes incapacitated.
By making these decisions together in the presence of a mediator or co-mediators, families have the benefit of a dispassionate and neutral third party to ease tensions and keep the conversation focused.
Another benefit of using a mediator to help with elder care decisions is the decreased likelihood that someone will want to take their complaint to court because they believe another family member has acted unethically. When decisions are made in the open, such conflicts are likely avoided.
Start the conversation today. Call 617-750-9709 or contact me to schedule for a free initial consultation about how elder care mediation can help your family. I respond promptly to all messages.