Elder Mediation

Elder Mediation provides a co-operative forum for family decision making. The mediator facilitates a conversation to assist older people and their families, friends, carers and others willing to give support.  Elder mediation is private, confidential and completely voluntary. 

The following are examples of the typical issues that can be addressed in elder mediation:

§ Health and medical care (at home, in the community, in hospital, in aged care) 

§ Progressive dementias and other memory impairments 

§ Caregiving 

§ Financial issues 

§ Guardianship issues 

§ Living arrangements and housing issues 

§ Abuse, safety issues, self neglect

§ End-of-life planning and decision-making 

§ Legal issues (estate, inheritance, living will, power of attorney, etc)

§ Intergenerational relationship issues 

§ New marriages and step-relative issues

§ Family business issues

§ Driving issues

Elder mediation puts the elder person at the centre of the process and all steps are made for the elder to participate as fully as possible depending on the circumstances or with an advocate if necessary. It is important that the elder has a voice in the life choices being made and their dignity and rights are protected at all times.

Elder mediation gives elders and their supporters an opportunity to explore in a confidential and safe environment creative win-win solutions that address a broad range of decisions and disputes that affect the senior person’s life. Catherine Lucas has trained in elder mediation, elder law and impacts of dementia and is passionate about using mediation to help seniors and their supporters communicate well to make decisions by agreement.