🚀 go-pugleaf

Joe Vogel wrote:  " I do not believe that there is any general offense in the
words' the elderly', and do not believe that there is a valid point to be
made by
changing this phrase."

The Administration on Aging, where I work, has for obvious reasons been
attentive to labeling and inadvertant stigmata associated with use of terms
for its primary constituency.  In the 1992 reauthorization of the Older
Americans Act, the term "elderly" was changed to "older individuals" to
achieve consistency throughout the many times amended act.   Since various
portions of the act address different sub-populations, "older individuals,"
is often amended, e.g. "older individuals with developmental disabilities,"
"older individuals who are fifty-five years old or older," "individuals aged
60 older," "frail older individuals," and so forth.   Occasionally you will
find such terms as "the aged and aging," but this  use in the act is
uncommon.

The term "elder," however is used in the act and often in our agencies public
policy activities:  "elder abuse," "tribal elders," and the more
controversial "eldercare" (controversial because it links dependency with a
term which should at best be neutral and often is not in our society).
Other terms are maintained because of common use:  "senior centers" and
"adult day care" or the legislative name "older Americans."

Points which I believe are always worth remembering even if you are
conscientious and never knowingly use a term offensive to the group you are
addressing:
 1)When two or more terms are used with different advocates, acknowledge if
possible and appropriate when addressing  groups the differences, e.g.
American Indians vs. Native Americans, Latinos vs. Hispanics, Blacks vs.
African-Americans.  Always use the term most acceptable to an individual you
are specifically addressing and do not be afraid to ask that persons
preference.
2.  When requesting or acknowledging a group or individual preference is not
possible, use the most neutral term with appropriate modifiers even if it
appears awkward (and quickly retreat to a shorter word such as "eligible,"
"target group" or "target audience."  Another way is to refer to a commonly
known group such as "Medicare eligible," but I believe the adjective "older"
in front of "person(s)," "adult(s)," or "individual(s)" usually does the job.

Personally?  I do not see a problem with "elderly" since its root "elder" is
a term respected in societies which hold their oldest members in high esteem.
   I do, however,  object to the use of "mature" as a euphemism for age.  It
implies that all who are not of a certain age are immature, just as using
"retired" used as a term for all older individuals implies that all older
persons are unproductive, hence the recent promotional campaign for use of
the term  "productive aging" to broaden the public's notion of an indivdudals
contributions to family and society.

Then there is the recent testimony of a sponsor of  the House version of the
19995 reauthorization of the Older Americans Act who uses the term
"chronologically gifted." But that is another story ......
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bruce Craig
bmc@ban-gate.aoa.dhhs.gov        AoA WEB Site:
202-619-3458                http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/aoa.html
FAX 202-260-1019

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