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Agreement Resources, LLC and Elder Decisions in the News
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Events Archives - Presentations by Our Partners
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Agreement Resources, LLC and Elder Decisions in the News
"Family Value: A Referee for Family Disputes"
"Oh, Brother! With Parents Aging, Squabbling Siblings Turn to Elder Mediation"
by Anne Tergesen, The Wall Street Journal, February 5, 2011
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by Sally Abrahms, AARP Bulletin, September 20, 2010
"Mediators Help Families with Tough Choices of Aging"
by Joseph Shapiro, National Public Radio Morning Edition, April 13, 2009
"The Caregivers: Sibling disputes over care" CBS Evening News, February 20, 2007
"Mediators Save Caregivers' Relationships: Professionals can help siblings make the tough health care decisions for aging parents" CBS Evening News.com article, February 20, 2007
"Eldercare choices revive sibling fights" by Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press, January 13, 2007
"Siblings revive conflicts when parent care comes up" by Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press, in Fifty Plus Advocate, January 4, 2007
"Conflict Management Contributes to Communication" By Rebecca R. Hastings, From the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM) Online Diversity Focus Area, January 2007
"Mediators Ease Decisions on Elders: Mediators ease elder decisions" by Maggie Jackson, The Boston Globe, December 3, 2006
"Elder Mediation: Optimizing Major Family Transitions" by Rikk Larsen and Crystal Thorpe, Marquette Elder's Advisor Law Journal, Volume 7, Number 2, Spring 2006
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"Staying positive when Alzheimer's afflicts" by Rikk Larsen and Crystal Thorpe, South Shore Senior News, Alzheimer's Special Report, pp. 20-21, November 2006
"Ten Tips for Tackling Conflicts" by Crystal Thorpe and Arline Kardasis, South Shore Senior News, February 2006
"Elder and Family Mediation Services" by Arline Kardasis and Blair Trippe, LongTermCareLink.net, December 2005.
"When Aging Leads to Family Conflict" by Arline Kardasis and Rikk Larsen, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, April 2005
"One gay couple, two different sets of aging parents - One set embraces them, the other denies their relationship: enter Elder Decisions, which helps children make the best choices in difficult years" by William Henderson, In Newsweekly, Wednesday, August 03, 2005
"Helping Families Choose" By Cheryl Lecesse/ Staff Writer, The Lincoln Journal, Thursday, December 30, 2004
"Social worker leads company aiding elders" By Deborah Eisner/ Journal Staff, The Somerville Journal, Thursday, October 21, 2004
"Elder Decisions in Elder Mediation" by John Dugan and Arline Kardasis, Mediate.com, October 2004
"Tough Elder Decisions: The Mediation Option" by Rikk Larsen and Blair Trippe, Mediate.com, May 2004
"What makes planning for seniors one of the biggest hot-button issues facing individuals, families, and professionals today?" September 20, 2004
Events Archives - Presentations by Our Partners:
2007On April 13, 2007, Arline Kardasis and Blair Trippe presented a workshop entitled "Elder Mediation: A Valuable Resource for Resolving Disputes Involving Elders and Their Families" at the 23rd annual conference of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, Inc. For more information, please visit www.caremanager.org.
Rikk Larsen was the featured speaker at the Margolis & Associates First-Thursday Breakfast Series on November 2, 2006, speaking on "Mediating Family Conflicts Over Care Issues." He discussed a new field developing in the mediation world – Elder Mediation. Elder mediation is proving to be an effective way for families, dealing with complex emotional decision processes, to efficiently and safely make tough choices. This is especially true at the beginning of the decision process – when families are fact finding, struggling with options and discovering feelings about their parents or adult children that well up and make clear thinking difficult.
On March 20, 2007, Rikk Larsen spoke at the Massachusetts Bar Association Probate Litigation Section seminar for probate lawyers and elder law attorneys on elder law and probate mediation.
2006
Crystal Thorpe and Arline Kardasis presented a workshop entitled "Working it Out: Using Conflict Resolution Skills to Enhance Employee Satisfaction and Improve Workplace Relationships" at the 2006 New England Human Resources Association (NEHRA) annual conference on November 2-4, 2006 in Providence, Rhode Island. This workshop helped participants to understand and embrace conflict and to see it as an opportunity for learning and for improving the work environment. Participants left the workshop with tools and skills to use when conflict arises at work, at home and in the community. For more information: www.nehra.com/convention
Arline Kardasis and Rikk Larsen presented a workshop at the Association for Conflict Resolution (International) Family Section Mid-Year Conference on July 13 – 16, 2006. The workshop was entitled "The Emerging Field of Elder Mediation: It’s Unique Challenges and Remarkable Rewards." Topics included: mediator advocacy for the welfare of the senior; when and how to include elders in the mediation sessions; working with large and widely dispersed family groups; barriers to participation; new strategies for intake; who pays for mediation; and when to offer conflict coaching to family members. Please visit: http://www.acrnet.org/.
Blair Trippe was the featured speaker at a recent meeting of the local chapter of More Than Money. Her presentation, Elder Mediation: Facilitating Difficult Family Decisions, described how this dispute resolution process helps families cope with the complex and emotional issues surrounding major life changes. She discussed difficulties families face in dealing with issues related to aging family members (e.g., health care, giving, conversations about money, potential loss of financial control and changes in living situations). Blair also discussed the mediation process. The More Than Money Institute is a national nonprofit organization committed to creating a better, more caring society by supporting people as they explore the impact of money in their lives and act on their highest values. Please visit http://www.morethanmoney.org/.
Blair Trippe presented a workshop with Oran E. Kaufman, JD. at the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts - Map Through the Maze Conference on May 3, 2006 in Marlborough, MA. Their workshop, entitled "When Disputes Arise", addressed the significant stress which can develop between family members when confronted with Alzheimer’s disease. When disagreements occur about care or over finances, mediation and facilitated family meetings can prevent or reduce family conflict. This interactive session introduced the basics of mediation and facilitation principles and techniques. See: http://www.bu.edu/alzresearch/documents/brochure-completepdf.pdf
2005
On October 17, Arline Kardasis and Rikk Larsen were interviewed on Lawline, a Newton, Massachusetts Cable TV program. The host, attorney B.J. Krintzman, led a rich discussion about the role of mediation in resolving family conflicts concerning eldercare and estate issues and the importance of elder mediation to the growing population of baby boomers and their aging parents. The program was aired more than 20 times over several weeks during the Fall of 2005.At the 2005 Dartmouth Alzheimer’s Conference, at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, on October 29, Blair Trippe and Rikk Larsen presented a workshop entitled “When Families Struggle with Dementia: Facilitating Solutions through Mediation.” Participants included primary care physicians, psychiatrists, neurologists, geriatricians, registered nurses, social workers and nursing home administrators.
On November 7, John Dugan and Arline Kardasis presented a program entitled “When Aging Issues Lead to Family Conflict: Resolving Conflicts through Mediation” at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The program was sponsored by the Graduate Programs in Dispute Resolution at the College of Public and Community Service along with the Gerontology Institute and Department at the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies.
Blair Trippe and Rikk Larsen of Elder Decisions presented a Pre-Dinner Program entitled “Using Mediation in Elder Law” at the April 26 Meeting of the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (www.manaela.org). The program was held at the Boston Marriott Newton Hotel, 2345 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton, MA.
John Dugan and Arline Kardasis of Elder Decisions presented a workshop entitled "Mediating Family Disputes Involving Elders" at the Spring 2005 Conference of The New England Chapter of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. The conference was held on April 4 at the Radisson Hotel in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and was entitled "Geriatric Care Management: The Complexities of Caring." Details are available at www.gcmnewengland.org.
2004Blair Trippe and Rikk Larsen of Elder Decisions presented a program on Elder Mediation at the December Members Meeting of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, on December 15 at the Concord Courthouse in Concord, MA.