Elder Relationship Services
The Elder Relationship Service can assist older people and their families to:
- prevent or resolve family conflict
- have difficult conversations
- plan for the future, including medical, health, financial or living arrangements
- talk about end of life decisions, including inheritances
- resolve differences in ways that improve their relationships
- make decisions that protect the interests, rights and safety of their families.
The trial sites for the Elder Relationships Service are based in Canberra, Wagga Wagga NSW, Kew VIC, Adelaide SA, Launceston TAS and Moreton Bay QLD.
Attending the Elder Relationship Service is voluntary and confidential. You can attend the service on your own, with your partner, as a family, or adult children and parents can come by themselves.
Everyone gets the opportunity to express his or her view with the support of an independent practitioner. The Elder Relationship Service is staffed by trained counsellors and mediators with specific skills in delivering services to people experiencing aging-related issues.
The decisions made at an Elder Relationship Service session are not legally binding. However, the Relationships Australia practitioner can assist you to document your agreements.
Making an appointment and fees
Relationships Australia services are subsidised by the Federal Government and clients pay a fee based on family income. We will confirm the service cost at the time of making an appointment.
A counselling or mediation session usually lasts about two hours. Where more than one person is involved, the practitioner may wish to see each person separately. Some issues are resolved in a few sessions, others take longer.
No referral is required, and waiting times for an appointment can vary according to the current level of demand and your availability.
To access Relationships Australia Elder Relationships Services call:
Canberra ACT 02 6122 7100
Wagga Wagga NSW 02 6923 9100
Kew VIC 03 9261 8700
Adelaide SA 08 8223 4566
Launceston TAS 1300 364 277
Moreton Bay QLD 07 3423 6962