Elder Mediation in the News

Mediators Help Families with Tough Choices of Aging - NPR Morning Edition

Mediators Save Caregivers' Relationships - CBS Evening News

Mediating Elder-Care Disputes - Wall Street Journal

"Mediators Focus on Elder Issues", Ann Tergesen, Wall Street Journal, March 14, 2010

Elder Mediation in Colorado

why mediation?
what to expect
advantages
financial issues
guardianship
about us
links and resources
10 warning signs
articles
getting started
conservatorship services
location & contact

We can help your family resolve conflicts about:

• Housing

• Guardianship , Conservatorship, Power of Attorney

• Estate Planning

• Suspicion of Elder Abuse

• Probate

• Property Issues

• Elder safety (e.g. driving)

• Caregiving roles

• Money management

• Health Care

• Long Term Care

• Elder Care Transitions

• Funeral arrangements and final disposition

Is your family in conflict about decisions regarding an elderly or senior member of your family? Are you or another family member considering going (or already have gone) to court to seek guardianship or resolve another dispute? Are you in conflict with a care provider regarding services being provider for an elder?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then mediation may be an effective, safe and private method of helping your family resolve conflicts and get the help you need without litigation.

Mediation can be very helpful in dealing with issues that adult children and their elderly parents face every day. Is it time for the parents to sell their home and move into an assisted living facility? Which child should provide care if a parent wants to stay in their home? How much care does a parent need? Is there disagreement among siblings as to what to do? 

A good elder mediator will not place blame or responsibility on any one party in the mediation. Through a process of asking questions and soliciting discussion the mediator will help the parties come up with a solution that works for them. The mediation will not work unless all parties agree that the solution is appropriate.

Steve McBride is an experienced mediator with many years of problem-solving and facilitation experience in a wide variety of settings.  His background in financial planning and business consulting often come in useful when working with families.  As a mediator, Steve does not offer legal advice, but has a strong network of elder law, estate and trust attorneys who can assist mediation clients.

Creating a Thoughtful Plan.  Changes in people's needs and roles as they age can impose new stresses on seniors and their loved ones. Faced with these challenges, many families seek help to develop new ways of coping with different views and positions which can lead to, or exaserbate, unhealthy conflict among family members.  Mediation provides an opportunity for the elder and all concerned members of the family to participate in creating a thoughtful plan for the future.

Our approach is to help families -

• get all the stakeholders involved in the conversations

• identify the challenges and obstacles,

• face up to realities,

• improve their communication and understanding of each other, the issues, and their needs

• bring in experts when needed to provide solid advice,

• develop viable options, and

• make decisions and plans that are workable.

We meet with families in our offices in Greenwood Village (including conference calls for family members out of the area), and also at the elder's residence if it is difficult for them to travel to our offices.