Did you ever meet someone from another culture, try to communicate, and end up resorting to simply smiling politely and nodding? Our cultural differences can create insurmountable barriers, either from language and dialect alone, or even from some of the fascinating idioms each culture has accepted as normal, while others find baffling.

For example, Russians may proclaim, “I’m not hanging noodles on your ears!” to let you know they’re being honest; Italians may suggest you “reheat cabbage” if they think you should rekindle a past romance; and Germans who are impressed with your wealth may think you’re “living like a maggot in bacon.” And of course we Americans have plenty of our own unique sayings! Just take a gander at the following industry lingo – terms that we in the aging care arena fully understand, but may be easily misinterpreted by those actually in need of care. Take for instance:

• Private duty. Of course, this refers to consumers paying with private funding for home care services, but it also seems to have some sort of military connotations – or perhaps even an implication of toileting in private.
• Respite care. ”Respite” is not a term used in everyday language anymore. When is the last time you’ve heard someone say, “I’m bushed; it’s time for some respite?” Using the term “respite” to describe your services could be confusing to a portion of your targeted audience.
• ADLs/activities of daily living. Sounding a bit like something a motivational speaker would recommend enhancing, perhaps through healthier eating and exercise choices, to consumers just beginning to chart the waters of in-home care, this term can come across as vague and obscure.
• Home care vs. home healthcare. The average consumer so often confuses these two terms, and with good reason. In many cases, a person searching for assistance for a senior will begin by expressing a need for home healthcare, when in fact, the person’s needs are non-medical. Who pays for this type of care, and are there requirements to be met in order to qualify for care? To take it a step further, even the term “home care” itself can be confusing; how many people might consider home care to encompass house cleaning, clearing gutters, or mowing the lawn?

Those seeking assistance for a senior loved one are at a critical juncture. They’re already overwhelmed with both the situation their loved one is in, and the plethora of options available to sift through. The last thing they need is industry jargon that confuses rather than clarifies how your agency can help.

What they need more than anything at this stage is to know, very clearly and succinctly, how your agency can alleviate their concerns with minimal uprooting, disturbance and inconvenience to their loved one. As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression, and according to the Nielsen Norman Group, you’ve got less than a minute to either capture or lose someone’s interest.

The home care marketing experts at corecubed are well versed at creating concise, compelling content that allows consumers to quickly understand how an agency’s services can provide the relief (or respite!) they so desperately need. Contact us to overhaul and streamline your content and go from beating around the bush to cutting to the chase!