elderly label shouldn't be a negative

An organisation for lawyers who specialise in supporting older people have changed their name as part of a re-brand.  Deciding that ‘Solicitors for the Elderly’ was outdated, they are now the Association of Lifetime Lawyers, according to a news article in the legal weekly Solicitors Journal.

The organisation’s chief executive was quoted as saying: “We needed to think about our name and the way we describe ourselves so the people who need our members most, know we’re here.”

So even though the website says the organisation’s members serve ‘older people’, they think it will be better understood if members call themselves ‘lifetime lawyers’ rather than ‘solicitors for the elderly’…?1? 

It feels suspiciously like the word ‘elderly’ was the problem, reflecting the negative connotations of later-life, and how people often shy away from associating themselves with such labels.   

If you happily would call someone a ‘young woman’ but would hesitate to identify yourself or someone else as an ‘older woman’ then you know how this works.

Using different language isn’t the solution – we need to change attitudes to tackle ageism, not our vocabulary.