Reply to: Language Matters, So Geriatricians Should Talk of Declining Health and Death

Abstract

Our editorial began a multiyear effort to reframe how policy-makers and the general public view older people. 2 Our goal is to reduce our reliance on terms that might impede others from hearing what geriatrics experts have to say because of the language we use. 2,3 We are delighted to report that the Editors-in-Chief of our other AGS journals followed our lead, and we hope other journals will too. [4][5][6] We want to be clear that the AGS and its journals will not stop talking about age-related disability, frailty, functional limitations, multimorbidity, decline, and death. Supporting frail older adults is the substance of what our members do and is the focus of our own policy and educational work. In this context, we see the LAO-FWI recommendations as an opportunity to become better communicators and potentially to reach a wider audience when sharing our work and the passion of our members. One clear message from the FWI reports is that the aging community needs to do a better job of meeting our audiences halfway by using language that resonates with average Americans and policy-makers and that invites them into the conversation as partners for meaningful change.2,3 That means remaining realistic about what aging entails, but it also means educating the general public using new techniques that can open doors to a new understanding of what "aging" really means. 2,3As we have worked with the LAO-FWI recommendations, we have learned that we may not be able to use all of the new frames available to us, and we have identified some adaptations that will serve us in good stead as we move into the next phase of this work.A couple examples of incremental adjustments we have made when contextualizing (or framing) aging to help our external audiences (policy-makers and the public) better hear what we have to say are in order.2,7 First, earlier this year (as summarized in JAGS), we sent a series of letters to President Trump and leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives conveying our interest in collaborating on federal programs and policies that are important to older adults. 7 In the letters, we adapted the "social justice frame" that FWI proposed. 3,8 That frame helped us convey a simple message: Supporting social justice for us all as we age is our best chance for ensuring that all older Americans can remain in their homes and communities. 7 We then examined our advocacy on behalf of the geriatrics workforce through the lens of the LAO-FWI collaboration. After reviewing FWI recommendations, we identified that our framing of workforce issues could be improved. 3 We found value in the "building momentum" metaphor that FWI proposed. This metaphor emphasizes that we can "gather momentum through the build-up of experience and insights" over time, which makes a compelling case for the important roles geriatrics healthcare professionals play in keeping health care attuned to concepts like frailty, which will play an increasingly significant role in quality care as more of us age. 9,10The AGS is committed to evolving...