Guideline 7: Including large families

9 out of 11

Title

Offer to hold a family meeting

If the patient has strong reasons for including the whole family, you could offer to hold a family meeting to accommodate the larger family group at a more suitable time and place.³⁵

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“If it’s important to you to have your whole family present, then I could arrange for a larger room to be booked for our next consultation”

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Click the + button below for how to prepare for and conduct a family meeting.

If the patient and family wish to have a family meeting, carefully set up and conduct the meeting ⁴⁹
- Preparing for a family meeting:
  - Get the patient’s permission to arrange a family meeting and find out if they have any concerns they’d like discussed.
  - Gather information on the family members who will be attending the meeting
  - Select a suitable facilitator from the meeting
  - Determine which health professionals should attend, based on the patient’s/family’s needs
  - Book a private space at a mutually acceptable time
- Conducting a family meeting:
  - Have introductions and establish how the meeting will work
  - Confirm the purpose of the family meeting and find out if the patient/family has any other concerns they’d like discussed.
  - Determine the patient/family’s understanding of issues and provide information/additional resources as required
  - Check throughout the meeting as to whether the patient/family feel their concerns are being addressed
  - If necessary, offer referral to members of the meeting
  - Conclude by summarising any decisions made and clarifying the plan for moving forward.

OVERALL COMPLETION