Do you have a close relationship with your parents or is the relationship strained? Does your family usually communicate personal concerns openly and easily? Or does your family tend not to talk to each other about personal matters?

Communication within the family is especially important when older parents have health problems that require increasing levels of care. Family discussions give all involved family members the opportunity to talk through the issues. Every member has a chance to be heard?'and also to hear what other family members have to say.

A structured family meeting is a good way to keep the discussion focused on the issues at hand. Some families may be able to move easily into a family meeting. If your family doesn't typically communicate in this way, you may need to start building family support one step at a time.

One starting point is figuring out who should attend a family meeting. In some families, only the husband, wife and their children are considered family. In other families, the definition is broad enough to cover current and former in-laws, grandchildren, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends. The important thing is that everyone who is, or who will be, part of the caregiving team should be included. That may include neighbors and paid caregivers. And your parents should be included in the conversation, if possible, since the decisions made at the family meeting will affect their lives.

Do you want to learn more? Judy Bobinski of the Broome County Office for Aging will discuss “How to Have a Family Meeting” on Wednesday, March 12. The meeting will be at the Broome West Senior Center from 6:00 to 7:30 pm.

The presentation will cover the steps to prepare for and then to conduct a family meeting. These include: gathering information; determining what materials to bring to the meeting; and developing an agenda. You will learn suggested rules for the actual meeting; some potential challenges and pitfalls to avoid; and where you can go to get help conducting the meeting.

The evening will also include a realistic video of a family using a family meeting to resolve some of their issues. Handouts will be provided.

Pre-registration is suggested; call Andrea Wright at 607.778.2411 to register.