Sharing Care in the Family: Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships

Overview

Informal care for older persons is often shared across families. While caregiving can strengthen relationships and enable reciprocity, it can also generate tension, conflict, and uncertainty. This panel examines common family dynamics in aged care, including how responsibilities and decision‑making power are negotiated. 
 

Panellists

Prof. Nancy A. Pachana is a clinical geropsychologist, neuropsychologist and Professor of Clinical Geropsychology in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland. She is Program Lead of the Age Friendly University Initiative at UQ. She is also co-director of the UQ Ageing Mind Initiative, providing a focal point for clinical, translational ageing-related research at UQ. She has an international reputation in the area of geriatric mental health, particularly with her research on late-life anxiety disorders. Nancy is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and of the Australian Psychological Society, and is the recipient of numerous prizes and awards.

Mr Brian Herd has over 40 years of experience as an expert in elder law. He has worked with hundreds of families to resolve conflict, avoid crisis, and make compassionate, informed decisions about the care and future of their ageing parents. His journey into this field began over two decades ago, during a visit to a nursing home where he encountered a fractured family in a web of legal complexity. That moment revealed a deeper calling and prompted Brian to become a leading voice in what he calls “family change management” – helping families navigate the often-unspoken issues that emerge as parents age.

Ms Anne‑Marie Rice is lawyer and a mediator with more than 25 years’ experience. She is the architect of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia’s dispute resolution program, where she was responsible for the development and implementation of 20,000 dispute resolution conferences during her 5.5 years at the Courts. Anne‑Marie is also a member of the Attorney‑General’s Family Law Council, advising the government on family law policy, and is widely recognised as a leader in mediation and alternative dispute resolution. She taught Family Law, as undergraduate subject for many years, and currently teaches both undergraduate Alternative Dispute Resolution and post graduate Mediation and Conflict Management subjects at UQ.