Arabella Tresillian kindly gave permission to repost her wonderful description of the webinar by Margaret Doyle on 15 May 2023.

Margaret Doyle gave a fascinating seminar on this emerging field. Here are some takeaways and thoughts from me following the seminar:

- Margaret Doyle (a highly-experienced practitioner, researcher and author in the area of public law disputes about social care) is one of only 4 mediators in the UK accredited by the Elder Mediation International Network.

- Elder Mediation can be used for in respect of both minor and major decisions/disputes affecting an older person - health and social care; consumer matters; housing; family/intergenerational disagreements; inheritance disputes; finances

- Elder Mediators benefit from specialist training eg in safeguarding, elder abuse, LPAs

- 'What is old?' - our society has no clear definition, ranging from 55+ to 83+

- The WHO's global report on Ageism (18Mar21) found that 1 in 2 people hold ageist attitudes - and that ageism is widespread and pernicious

- 'Vulnerability', as defined by Elder Mediation, is complex: relative, relational, non-static, a social factor rather than a medical condition..

- Mediation, being flexible, can provide a particularly accessible forum for participation in decision-making

- A person may be deemed to lack capacity to make certain decisions, but that shouldn't be confused with any idea that they therefore lack capacity to participate in decision-making processes.

Those are just a few of the highlights of the talk for me. (Any errors are mine; and any insights are Margaret's!)

Thank you, Margaret, for sharing your expertise, and for raising awareness of this important and promising area of mediation.

Thank you to the Nancy Radford and the ASSOCIATION OF NORTHERN MEDIATORS for hosting this valuable CPD event.

#mentalcapacity#mentalcapacityact#eldermediation#eldercare#elderlaw#courtofprotection#familylaw#mediation#mediators#socialcare#inheritance#health#housing#medical