On Tuesday (15 September) I attended the ACSA 2009 National Conference on Aged Care. On several occasions throughout the day, I was reminded of the power of language to inspire, unite and divide. The theme of this year’s conference was Get Up, Stand Up! I had assumed these words were devised as an encouragement to keep the clients of the aged care industry mobile and ambulatory. I was wrong. It was a rally cry, borrowed from the lyrics of a Jamaican Rastafarian, to keep fighting for much-needed reform for an industry in crisis.
Wailing for Reform
It felt a little odd to be singing to a Bob Marley video alongside the other delegates, fists pumping and feet stomping. It’s the sort of behavior and sentiment reserved for youthful parties and summer nights. Marley knew what he was doing when he penned those words. Phrases like “Stand up for your rights” and “Don’t give up the fight” resonated with a largely middle-aged group of administrators and management that keep the aged care industry going in Australia. Like Marley, they feel unsupported and, at times, persecuted. But Marley has an enduring voice on the international music stage long after his death. In Australia, the aged care industry is twisting in the wind and they know it.
Good Advice from Dr. Flett
Dr. Peggy Flett, CEO of Brightwater Care Group and the 2009 Western Australian of the Year, counseled in an afternoon session for change in the language used to discuss the industry. She spoke about the power of words to inform but also to prejudice. She pleaded for a new vocabulary that would empower the industry saying, “Translate government speak into real conversation.” Dr. Flett is acutely aware that filling an argument with jargon provokes the broader public to distance themselves from the necessary discourse that affects change.
When Words Become Blah-Blah-Blah
What Dr. Flett was asking, in reality, is that people in the aged care industry adopt a policy to eliminate gobbledygook from their vocabulary. I’m a professional writer and this is something I work at every day. It’s easy to become lazy with speech and rely on clichés, slang and colloquialisms. Worse, is the prevalence of profanity in everyday conversation. Where spoken vulgarities once caused social stigma, now they are commonplace. It rarely provokes reaction anymore except boredom. It’s not a problem exclusive to the aged care industry. Most businesses would benefit from an effort to reduce the amount of mumbo jumbo in their communications.
What Copywriters Already Know
The lesson from all this is that simple words and phrases are often the best way to get an idea across. Relying on acronyms, industry-specific vocabularies and governmental blathering is a quick way to deflect the attention of your intended audience. It’s just as important in verbal communication as it is in written content. I hope the aged care industry takes Dr. Flett’s advice and tackles their issues with straight talk and plain language. I can’t think of a group who deserves more support and attention. I just wonder if the Hon. Justine Elliot MP, the Minister for Ageing, is even listening. She didn’t bother to show up for the conference, so no one is really sure.
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