Growing old can be difficult, not only for yourself but for your loved ones. It is not uncommon for siblings to drift apart or, worse still, do battle, around how best to care for an aging parent. Next Avenue reports on an interesting strategy for reducing caregiving tension and worry: Hire a mediator.
A mediator helped one family reach consensus around whether their mom should move into an assisted living facility. The mediator helped them to each share their views, without a lot of emotions at play. The mediator helped them select the assisted living facility and to assume different responsibilities for the move.
There are always myriad considerations and many items to nail down. One sibling took responsibility for talking to their mom about stopping driving. Another agreed to help their mom with finances. One took responsibility for medical issues.
Mediators can be a help with a range of elder care issues. There need not be any legal disputes. The goal is for the family to reach agreement as peacefully as possible.
Mediators will usually speak with each family member individually, including the older adult if possible, to give everyone a voice, get a sense of where people stand on key issues and each person’s ability to be helpful. After that, the mediator can lead a zoom or in-person meeting of the family.
At the end of the day, every family member will understand all that needs to happen and each person’s role in making those things happen.
Does your family need a mediator? It depends on how much you are getting done without one and how much stress it entails. Try not to wait for a medical emergency.
Caregiving is filled with important responsibilities: medical, financial, legal, domestic, you name it. Here’s a link to a range of things you might want to think about if you’re caring for a loved one. Getting the job done is time-consuming and often terribly painful even without the added stress of reaching consensus with others. The goal is to make it as joyful and stress-free as possible.
Here’s more from Just Care:
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