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Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, cognitive changes, or increasing care needs can leave families with difficult questions and competing opinions about what to do next.
You may be wondering:
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How much support does our loved one need right now?
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How can we divide caregiving responsibilities among family members?
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How should we respond to changes in behavior, memory, or functioning?
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How do we communicate with a loved one who may not recognize the extent of their needs?
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How can we reduce conflict among family members about care decisions?
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What resources or additional services should we consider?
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How do we support the caregiver while also supporting the person receiving care?
Family Consultation & Care Planning at Serenity Counseling Solutions provides families with a dedicated space to step out of crisis mode, organize their concerns, and develop a practical plan for moving forward.
What Is Family Consultation & Care Planning?
Family Consultation & Care Planning is a private-pay, 60-minute professional consultation designed for family members who are navigating caregiving, changing family roles, or decisions surrounding the care of a loved one.
During the consultation, we will discuss your family's current concerns, identify priorities, explore areas where additional support may be needed, and develop practical next steps.
Depending on your family's needs, consultation may include:
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Identifying immediate caregiving concerns and priorities
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Developing a family care plan
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Discussing caregiver roles and responsibilities
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Improving communication among family members
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Navigating disagreements regarding a loved one's care
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Addressing caregiver stress and overwhelm
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Discussing boundaries and realistic expectations
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Exploring strategies for communicating with a loved one experiencing cognitive changes
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Identifying areas where additional professional or community support may be beneficial
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Discussing whether individual, couples, or family counseling may be appropriate
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Helping the family organize questions or concerns to discuss with medical or other professionals
The goal is to help your family leave the consultation with greater clarity, organization, and practical next steps.
Who Is a Family Caregiver Consultation For?
Family Consultation & Care Planning may be helpful for adult children, spouses, siblings, caregivers, or other family members who are helping care for a loved one.
It may be particularly helpful for families navigating:
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Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia
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Memory or cognitive changes
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Increasing caregiving responsibilities
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Changes in a loved one's independence or functioning
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Caregiver stress and burnout
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Family disagreements about caregiving
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Changes in family roles
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Decisions about additional care or support
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Difficulty communicating with a loved one about their needs
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Uncertainty about where to begin
The individual receiving care does not need to participate in the initial family consultation.
What Happens During the Consultation?
Before the appointment, you will receive paperwork explaining the consultation service, confidentiality, fees, and the scope of the consultation.
During the 60-minute meeting, we will review your family's primary concerns and discuss what is currently happening at home. Together, we will identify the most pressing needs and begin developing a realistic care-planning approach.
Recommendations will vary depending on your family's circumstances and may include communication strategies, caregiver boundaries, family-role planning, coping strategies, referrals or resources, and recommendations for additional professional support when appropriate.
Some families may benefit from a single consultation, while others may choose to schedule additional care-planning sessions as circumstances change.
Is Family Consultation & Care Planning the Same as Therapy?
No. Family Consultation & Care Planning is not psychotherapy and does not establish a psychotherapy relationship with the family member receiving care.
The service is intended to provide consultation, caregiver support, psychoeducation, care planning, and assistance identifying appropriate next steps.
A consultation does not include medical diagnosis, neuropsychological evaluation, legal advice, medication recommendations, or determination of an individual's legal capacity. When needs arise outside the scope of the consultation, appropriate referrals to medical providers, attorneys, care-management professionals, community resources, or other specialists may be recommended.
If psychotherapy would be beneficial for a participating family member or for the loved one receiving care, this can be discussed separately. Any psychotherapy services would require an appropriate intake, assessment, informed-consent process, and determination that services are clinically appropriate.
How Much Does a Family Consultation Cost?
$200 for a 60-minute private-pay consultation. This service is not submitted to insurance. Additional consultation sessions may be scheduled when needed.
This service is offered on a private-pay basis and is not submitted to insurance.
Additional consultation sessions may be scheduled when needed.
A $100 late cancellation/no-show fee applies to appointments canceled with less than 24 hours' notice or missed appointments.
Eligible self-pay clients will receive a Good Faith Estimate (link to footer) in accordance with applicable federal requirements.
Is a Family Consultation Confidential?
Information shared during Family Consultation & Care Planning is handled in accordance with applicable privacy and confidentiality requirements.
When multiple family members participate in the same consultation, information discussed during the meeting will naturally be heard by the other participants. Families are encouraged to consider this when deciding what information to discuss during a joint consultation.
Additional information regarding privacy and confidentiality is available in Serenity Counseling Solutions' Notice of Privacy Practices.
Schedule a Family Consultation
If your family is struggling to determine what comes next, you do not have to have every question answered before scheduling a consultation.
Family Consultation & Care Planning provides an opportunity to organize what is happening, identify your family's priorities, and develop practical next steps for supporting both your loved one and the people involved in their care.