Words Matter
By Mark Wilhelm, Vice President of Sales
We all know that words matter. I was recently reminded of this by one of our long-standing customers, Jill Vitale-Aussem, who is the CEO for Christian Living Communities in Denver, CO and the past CEO for Eden Alternative.
Fighting ageism starts with us as front-line caregivers to the elderly. Have you ever been talking with someone and suddenly you see a change in their body language because of a word you used? Maybe you used the “F word,” no, not that F word, but the word facility. There are an increasing number of our customers and potential customers that are sensitive to everyday words that can be derogatory or demeaning to the elder community. Some of these words are ingrained into our everyday vocabulary and we should make a conscious effort to try and change our habits. As an example, instead of facility, we should use community. We have important corporate customers where this really matters like Christian Living Communities, HumanGood, and The Goodman Group, to name a few. I will include a comprehensive list for your review below from Jill Vitale-Aussem for reference. It is also available as a PDF here.
I also read a recent article that helps reinforce this point. The article encouraged the reader to:
- Be impeccable with your word.
- Speak with integrity
- Say what you mean and mean what you say
- Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others
- Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love
Here is the list of words that we should consider trying to modify and the recommended alternative. With a little practice and careful consideration, we can all improve the language we use when we interact with our elder residents and clients. Words really can inspire, are incredibly powerful and they matter!
