Elder-Care Mediation Expands, Some Embarrassed To Admit It
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From Jeff Thompson's Enjoy Mediation Blog December 2010 |
Thanks to @Dialogicmed on Twitter for pointing out this article.
I have been noticing more articles on elder-care mediation and found this one interesting and wanted to pass it along to everyone.
By Sandra G. Boodman
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The elderly man became increasingly alarmed as the battles among his five grown children grew acrimonious.
His two daughters, worried that he wasn't taking proper care of himself, wanted him to move to a retirement community. His three sons balked, insisting that he was managing fine in his own home. At a family meeting their father made this jarring announcement: I'm nearing the end of my life, and you are making me so unhappy that it might be easier if I killed myself and ended the fighting.
His threat shocked the warring siblings into resolving their dispute, according to lawyer Karolyn Blume of Arlington, who was present at the meeting. Blume did not represent any of the parties but served instead as a new kind of geriatric specialist: an elder-care mediator.
I found this part interesting too:
While mediators say the demand for their services is growing - "Everyone tells me, 'I know someone who could really use you,' " one said - many participants are reluctant to discuss their experiences. None of the six mediators interviewed for this story - or others contacted through an e-mail group list - was able to find a family willing to talk about the process.
Many clients feel "there's a negative connotation to mediation," said Massachusetts mediator Rikk Larsen, who says families may be embarrassed that they are unable to make decisions on their own and need to hire a professional to help them.
Read the full article [HERE].
Biography
Jeff Thompson is a certified international mediator. He is also a law enforcement detective in New York. His law enforcement role include a being a communication and conflict specialist, interfaith dialogue, developing and implementing community engagement programs, and designing training workshops.
Jeff is currently a PhD candidate researching nonverbal communication and mediation at Griffith University Law School. He also received his MS in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from the Creighton University School of Law. Jeff has presented and trained on the topic of conflict, mediation, communication and nonverbal communication internationally and has been published and featured with numerous international media organizations. He currently writes also at PsychologyToday.com.
(All posts by Jeff Thompson represent his personal reflections and opinions as a mediator and not that of any organization.)
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