What is Elder Care and Adult Mediation?
Mediation is a structured, although informal process where the mediator, a
neutral, trained professional, helps the parties involved identify and discuss
issues of mutual concern. The mediation process is confidential and voluntary.
Mediation is also faster, efficient, and more cost-effective than litigation, or
no action at all. When
necessary, the parties might request and benefit from the professional services of accountants,
financial planners, geriatric social workers and managers, religious leaders, and lawyers
as resources at the mediation or before the session as a reference. Elder
Care Mediation is a team effort to help the families, the senior, and parties
make good decisions for today and tomorrow. Other professional advisors often include care givers, such as nursing home
administrators, physicians, and nurses, in addition to the elder and other
interested family members and friends. More
information here.
Why choose mediation?
Family dynamics are complicated. These family dynamics have taken years to
evolve, but now are maybe strained by new roles or tested by the urgent needs of
an elder, usually a parent. Decisions for seniors often need timely
resolution. Family disputes, personality differences, partners of
family members, and nuances of growing families all add to the mix of barriers that
might interfere with quality communication to make good decisions. The best intentions of all involved
might become clouded with guilt, misinformation, and fear of new roles and needs. Mediation
enables proactive families to have good discussions and look at emerging opportunities to resolve
conflict that potentially could tear them apart financially and emotionally. In
mediated family meetings, everyone has the opportunity to privately explore the
needs and feelings of all involved and to deal rationally with the problems and
issues under discussion. A well-trained elder and adult care mediator can
also assist families with understanding community resources and how to access
other professional advisors.
When medical or nursing care falls short of expectations, mediation among the
patient, family, and long-term care administrators can clarify roles and
expectations in a timely manner, outside of a courtroom. In most cases,
legal representation is not needed, or really wanted. The family can put their money,
emotion, needs, and
energy into quality decisions and not litigation.
Mediation gives families and seniors the vehicle to make their own best decisions
in a timely, personal, private, and constructive process.
What will mediation
cost? What will it cost the family if we don't mediate? (This
is the real question.) Mediation is a professional service
conducted by mediators who have had hours of training, usually with a minimum of
100 hours of class training by leading trainers in elder care mediation, plus
ongoing training in communication skills and content dynamics. In
addition, many of our mediators are mature adults who have dealt with a family
senior and the dynamics involved. We know through experience, practice, and
course work, your needs are emotionally draining and need to be addressed in a
timely manner.
Our prices
reflect the diversity of family dynamics and mediation styles that are used
under the umbrella of elder care mediation services.
How to begin:
Nationally there is now a network
of mediators specializing in elder and adult mediation. Since families
might live and work in different parts of the country, even world, families can
be brought together by phone through a conference call, video cam, and by assistance of elder care
mediators near you. Manousso Mediation has trained many of these mediators
around the country, so we know the breath and scope of their ability and
practice skills.
Conflict Coaching: We will talk
with you by phone or video cam and help you clarify the
immediate issues for mediation.
Family Mediation: A mediator will meet with your
family at your home, nursing facility, by conference call, or at
a convenient location.
We will assist your family in having a quality conversation to
help you make informed decisions. Mediations can be
scheduled on evenings and weekends, so that your family can come
together at your most convenient time.
Family Facilitation: Sometimes families need a
conversation to negotiate what they would like to mediate.
We help with this by coordinating the family team by arranging
the "table" meeting, whether by phone or at one location.
It involves one-on-one calls and scheduling. Usually, the
senior is part of this team, or the children can meet first and
negotiate an agenda to discuss with the parent.
At a family mediation, each family member will have a chance to
speak, including the senior, if capable to meet. Then, the
mediator will support your conversation and decisions that will result
in an Agreement of Understanding.
For more information on how to start the mediation process, contact
Barbara Manousso.
Our phone is (713)840-0828.
Email us your phone number and we will be happy to call you.
Cancelation policy:
Courses can be canceled by Manousso Mediation, if a minimum number of
attendees are not met. Registration money will be refunded or
applied to a future class. If there are not an adequate number of students to hold the
class, Manousso Mediation may use their discretion in rescheduling the course. Manousso Mediation is not liable for any
loss or damage due to a course not being held as scheduled. If a student
cancels 30 days before the scheduled class, they will be refunded
50% of the paid registration fee. If a student cancels within
fifteen (15) days
before the
scheduled class, there will be no refund of their registration fee.
In all cases though,
the paid registration can be applied to a future course to be used
within a year from original class date.
