Elder Mediation Training

Objective

This intensive three-day training will orient experienced mediators to the kinds of issues associated with aging and the special practice issues that arise when working with older persons, their families and care givers.

This workshop meets the draft core training objectives set forth by the Elder Mediation Training Work Group (EMTWG), a national committee that has been working for the last few years to develop Elder Mediation training standards.

Elder Mediation is a burgeoning area of practice. Elder Mediation supports older adults, their families and caregivers as they engage in difficult conversations about issues that occur as a result of life cycle events, changes in physical and cognitive status, and/or loss often associated with aging. The training format will combine lecture, video analysis, role-play practice and discussion. Topics will include:

Conflicts Associated with Aging
Sensitivity to the Aging Process
Aging Biases and the Mediation Process
Intergenerational Family Dynamics
Capacity Issues and Accommodations
Screening for Elder Abuse
Use of Support Persons and Advocates
Facilitating Multi-Party Family Decision Making
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Collaboration with the Aging Network

Trainers

Kathryn Mariani, MAR is a mediator, trainer and consultant specializing in aging and health care for more than a decade. She has published articles and presented nationally about elder mediation and served as Chair of the 2007 First National Symposium on Ethical Standards for Elder Mediation. Mariani is a member of the Elder Mediation Training Work Group, a national committee for the development of Elder Mediation training standards. She is a member of the Guardianship Manual Committee for the Philadelphia Orphan's Court.

Barbara Foxman, LCSW is a mediator and clinical social worker. She mediates elder and family disputes since 1997. She is a trainer specializing in health care, aging and social work ethics. Foxman helped organize and presented at the 2007 First National Symposium on Ethical Standards for Elder Mediation. Foxman is Vice President of the Pennsylvania Council of Mediators Board of Directors and a facilitator and board member of the Jewish Dialogue Group. She is a member of the Guardianship Manual Committee for the Philadelphia Orphan's Court.

Experts in Elder Law and Ethics will also present:

Michele Mathes, JD, a trained mediator and Director of Education and Research Program at the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE) in Philadelphia and an Associate Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics. Ms. Mathes has published, presented and trained nationally on ethical issues in health care and aging.

Keelin Barry, Esq, an experienced mediator and elder law attorney in private practice. She is Co-Chair of the Elder Law Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association and Co-Chair of the Guardianship Manual Committee for the Philadelphia Orphan's Court.