On March 25, 2013, attorney Donald D. Vanarelli will be addressing the Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly on the topic of Elder Mediation / Negotiation Skills at the Ombudsman’s Quarterly Regional Meeting held in Freehold, New Jersey.

In attendance will be NJ’s State Ombudsman, Jim McCracken, his investigative staff and Volunteer Advocates.  The Volunteer Advocates are each assigned to a nursing home facility where they visit residents for 4 hours per week to advocate for residents’ rights and quality of life and care issues.

Through their advocacy work, the Volunteers work with facility staff and family members to help resolve issues and to improve conditions.  Negotiation and mediation skills are critical tools to making their efforts successful.

Through the presentation, participants will learn how to use elder mediation as a tool in resolving disputes, the various stages involved in the process and the nuances that make elder mediation an effective tool in resolving disputes involving elders, persons with disabilities, their family members, caregivers and others in their lives.

Mr. Vanarelli welcomes this invitation as another opportunity to promote the use of mediation as a viable method of resolving issues involving elders and avoiding costly litigation.