Editor’s note: The board of the American Association of Homes & Services for the Aging voted to change the group’s name to LeadingAge.
Q: Why the name change?
A: Our member leaders and board for the last three to four years have said we needed to change because our mission is broader than our current name.
Q: What was a “must” for you?
A: The new name needed to be bold and encompassing. It had to be easy to hear and understand, and not reducible to an acronym.
Q: Who offered the winning name?
A: All the words in the title and statement of mission came from an AAHSA member, in some form or another. We had five pages of names submitted.
Q: Are you worried about going from too long a name to too short?
A: A member told me that he always had to explain AAHSA anyway and this one is probably better to explain.
Q: So when does it become official?
A: Members finish voting July 30. If all goes well, we’ll start changing the legal documents and introduce it in November at our annual meeting. We’d start all the branding changes in January.
From the August 01, 2010 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
