What the heck was going on in the lounge? A patient’s family and the doctors were sitting on the floor with their legs crossed. Were they about to break out into song? Kumbaya my lord, Kumbaya…? Was this part of the Hospice Yoga Initiative? Mat-time at a new New Zealand charter school? No, it was actually a family meeting.

Family meetings are common occurrences in healthcare settings and are organized in order to convey a point of view, or to try to bring together disparate points of views. These events may actually be the first chance that some of the key stakeholders, i.e. the family and the healthcare team, actually have to meet each other. The first time that the next of kin has made time to meet with the health care team looking after their loved one. First impressions as within any first meeting are important. As you can only meet for the first time once, you’d better do your best to make sure it goes well. In order to establish a trusting therapeutic relationship between the patient, their family and the health-care team, rapport must be established quickly. Every encounter can count, but not everything can be planned for. Continue reading →