Family meetings

Family meetings can help you plan for the future. In a family meeting, you can share information and worries with everyone involved in the care of a person. A meeting can help you to work out what’s best for everyone.

You should have a family meeting to make decisions, pass on news or get support, or whenever you think it's important. If you are making plans for the future, you might need more than one family meeting to work things out, or you might want to arrange regular meetings.

How to run a family meeting

Meetings can include people from outside the family, such as doctors, health workers, friends and others you think are important.

Group communication works best if someone is in charge – this person is known as the chair. The chair makes sure that everyone gets an equal chance to speak. You might be the chair, or it might be someone else who the family respects.

It’s a good idea to get someone to take notes at the meeting, so it is clear what has been talked about and decided. You can send the notes to anyone who might need to know about your plans.

Getting help with family meetings

Sometimes, problems and conflicts can come up in family meetings. You might want to ask a mediator to come along. A mediator is someone who is not involved in the problem, who can help people to talk and agree. You can ask someone outside the family (for example, a family friend or neighbour) to act as a mediator, or you can call Family Relationships Online on 1800 050 321 to arrange one.