Online mediation is rapidly becoming an obvious choice for distant family members who are addressing a relative’s transitions of aging. Whether it’s creating roles in a care giving plan or settling a dispute, when a skilled, impartial mediator brings a family together for a video-conference, there is less stress and greater progress.
Jeannette Twomey, Virginia-certified mediator and founder of Mediate Virginia in Vienna, Virginia, creates the calm, orderly environment that families need when they are discussing sensitive topics. She has connected family members in locations across the country and beyond in discussions that resolve such issues as an older relative’s living arrangements, financial management, personal care, and health issues.
Jeannette’s experience with online mediation and family caregiving – plus her legal education and twenty-five years of mediation practice – have prepared her for the challenges of elder decision-making. She understands the complex choices and family dynamics that are involved. Her goal is to improve difficult conversations, so that family members find a way to move forward with confidence.
Mediators don’t take sides or decide outcomes. They help people talk productively about their differences and negotiate their own mutually agreeable solutions. Mediation is informal, private and affordable. To participate in online mediation all that’s needed is a phone, tablet, or computer with a camera and a secure internet connection.
An example of elder mediation: Family members deciding what living situation and level of care will address the needs of an aging mother or father. Several family members may have an important stake in the decision – the older person, a spouse, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. With the help of a skilled mediator, stakeholders who are willing and capable meet at a convenient time online to share perspectives, gather information, examine alternatives, and map out a workable, mutually agreeable plan.
Read more about elder mediation: New York Times, AARP, American Bar Association, Wall Street Journal
Mediation by telephone or local face-to-face meetings are available, if preferred.
Contact Jeannette for a free consultation: contact@mediatevirginia.com , Ph: 703 757-7364
“Don’t find fault. Find a remedy.”
___ Henry Ford