Services provided:
Pre-need planning
Meeting available for individual and couples who want to plan for aging and long-term needs. Focus of consultations is identifying goals, resources, family and health considerations, obstacles as well as legal and financial planning needs.
- Planning to Age In Place
- Downsizing and relocation options
- Medical, legal, insurance, and financial realities
- Community resources and entitlement programs
- Relocation options
Consultations for individuals or families
- Family meetings to address immediate or future concerns
- Facilitate communication needed for decision making
- Identify roles and responsibilities for all involved
- Manage expectations
- Address red flags to avoid crisis
- Provide a framework for resolving conflict
- Address the current complications created by the current pandemic
Aging Life Mediation
As loved ones go through transitions family dynamics can become entrenched and often complicated by new challenges. Conflict often arises due to multiple factors. Long-term grievances, differing points of view, disparities in personal and family obligations and resources are some of the issues faced. Families differ, but there are several issues that are commonly discussed when there is disagreement.
- Planning and anticipating challenges before a crisis
- Blended and step-family with differing goals
- Relocation and care issues
- Decision making process
- Members roles and responsibilities
- Possible abuse, neglect or undue influence
- Assistance to avoid or reduce legal interventions
- Financial concerns and money management
- Inheritance, estate and trust matters
- Medical and end of life decisions
- Maintaining the integrity of the family
Resolving conflicts with senior communities or skilled nursing facilities
An increasing number of aging adults are moving from their long time family homes to senior care facilities. These can be temporary or long-term arrangements. The moves can be precipitated by necessity or by personal preference. Facilities can range from independent living communities and assisted livings facilities (RCFE’s) to skilled nursing or rehabilitation facilities (SNFs). The stress of moving coupled with expectations not being met, contracts misunderstood and regulations are being unclear can lead to conflict between residents, families and communities.
By addressing issues with families and/or community staff many conflicts can be reduced or avoided eliminating costly legal fees, unnecessary moves and hostile relationships often-toxic relationships
These are a some of the situations that can be addressed
- Concerns related to relocation adjustments and trauma
- Clarification of billing and additional charges
- Behavior management
- Clarifications of regulations, compliance and scope of care
- Expectations of services provided
End of life, Bereavement and Advanced Directive Guidance
Maintaining control of decisions at the end of life takes planning.
- Bunni helps individuals prepare for a “good death” at whatever stage of living a person is at.
- Review of treatment options, beliefs, values and preferences.
- Facilitate communication between family members when there are conflicts.
- Identifying differing values, beliefs and family dynamics to avoid legal, ethical and emotional spillover
- Provide resources and options for issues regarding end of life
- Well planned advanced healthcare directives enable agents to make critical end of life decisions for those that can’t communicate their wishes,
- Provide a framework for an individual to clarify what makes life worth living and maintaining control of decisions to the extent possible.
- Guidance regarding instructions for treatment, environment and other important healthcare decisions that go beyond “pulling the plug”.
- Understanding regarding end of life as it relates to capacity and decision making
- When advanced planning has no been done and families disagree on end of life treatment Bunni can work with them to clarify direction
- Individuals will go through a period of grieving following the death of a loved one. Bunni can support that process.
- Consultations can provide guidelines, resources, reassurance following the death of a loved one.
- Identify red flags that are associated with increased morbidity, illness and psychological illness that put bereaved at higher risk than others.
Expert witness testimony and legal support
- Provide court reviews, reports and testimony regarding standard of care, caregiving, end of life, elder abuse, neglect and related issues issues.
- Home visits, assessments, care plans and reports for conservatorship hearings and mediations.
- Partnering with trusted advisors to address conflicts, complicated situations or provide objective solutions to challenging situations.
- Support “care team” entrusted with the responsibilities and protections for dependent adult who lacks capacity to make decisions in their best interest.
- Create guidelines and protocols for court directed visitations, interactions and other highly contested situations to meet specific goals.
Public speaking, training and professional supervision
- Presentations at community forums, educational institutions, conferences, legal and financial institutions and other venues on a wide variety of topics involving aging, end of life and long term care. Contact Bunni for specific topics, fees and other related questions.
- Training for care managers, mental health professionals, healthcare, fiduciaries, and legal professionals that are involved with aging, ill or dependent adults. A list of topics upon request.
- Mentoring and supervision is available aging life care managers, fiduciaries, and others involved in decision making for aging adults.