Shakespeare is famous for suggesting that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” As I traveled to Indianapolis for this year’s LeadingAge Annual Meeting, I wondered if the Bard’s poetic take on name changes applied to life plan communities.
I decided pretty quickly that it does.
Exactly a year ago, at our 2015 meeting in Boston, LeadingAge unveiled “Life Plan Community” as the new name for the CCRC category.
It’s no coincidence that the change came just a few years after the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging changed its name to LeadingAge.
Obviously, name changes are becoming increasingly popular as aging services organizations begin to understand that our old terminology isn’t resonating with our new consumers. It’s not that our missions have changed. Rather, we’re looking for new words that do a better job of communicating those missions to the people who will soon be using our services and supports.
Name changes aren’t easy. To be honest, they take some getting used to. But, if the LeadingAge name change is any indication, consumers and providers alike can adjust to new terminology. And, when that happens, we all win.
Making Progress
As I’ve said before, the move from CCRC to life plan community is an evolution, not a revolution.
I saw that evolution at work during this year’s Annual Meeting. I was impressed by the number of people who used the life plan community name during their formal conference presentations. But I was blown away by the number of members I heard using the term in their informal conversations.
Sure, everyone slips up once in a while. But I’m convinced that we are moving away from the awkwardness that any new name brings with it.
It has taken a commitment from a variety of sectors to make that happen.
LeadingAge led the way by using the life plan community name in all of our communications. But corporate partners like Ziegler have also done a great job of making the life plan community name more normative.
Media outlets are starting to get on board. Even states are beginning to understand that the life plan community product is no different than the CCRCs they regulate.
Once we get some solid numbers about widespread adoption of the life plan community name, we’ll start working to encourage regulators at the state level to officially adopt that name. But in the meantime, we’re advising LeadingAge members to use contract language clarifying that they are CCRCs “doing business as” life plan communities.
A Call to Action
I truly believe that we are moving toward universal acceptance of the life plan community name. But we won’t get there unless more communities adopt the name.
So here’s my call to action.
If you haven’t yet adopted the life plan community name, ask your board to seriously consider making the change.
If you need more convincing, revisit the blog I wrote last year, which addressed all the reasons I think the life plan community name makes sense for LeadingAge members.
If you have questions about how to go about adopting the life plan community name, visit LifePlanCommunity.org.
And finally, please let us know if you are identifying yourself as a life plan community. We’ll give you a place on our Life Plan Community map, which helps us monitor – and inform others about – how adoption is going.
We’ve made great strides over the past 12 months in our efforts to help residential communities find greater appeal among future consumers. Let’s keep the life plan community movement going. All of us – consumers and providers alike – have much to gain from it.