Letter to the Editor

Richard, please accept my congratulations on the redesign and renaming of your excellent magazine. However, I want to challenge you as an industry leader to make an even more significant contribution to changing our future and those of our residents for the better through the extraordinary power of words.

No person wants to live or make their home in a “facility.” Let us together banish that term from our speech forever starting with the next issue. Likewise, no one wants to be “admitted” into or be a “patient” in their home.

I recognize that short-term nursing centers rely on clinical healthcare expertise, but no person will ever object to being a “client” of such a professional organization. I further recognize that we have many different types of places one can live (or be served), and, when we refer to them in general, let me suggest we use “communities.”

If we truly want to change, we must raise the bar for everyone, and this can not happen without attacking the root cause: The lexicon we use and its very negative impact (some would argue damaging) on our residents and clients.

Will you accept the challenge?

Sincerely,

Anthony J. Mullen, Partner, Royal Star Partners

Cofounder, NIC