DOA in Iowa

In the State of Iowa the Department of Elder Affairs is changing its name to Department on Aging. Local politicos think that the acronym DOA is too much of an in-your-face reminder. They are falling all over themselves trying not to use it.

The change from elder affairs to aging was made in order to conform with the names of federal agencies dealing with the elderly. Reuters reports that Iowa’s elder affairs chief John McCalley will not use the DOA acronym; he favors DA. That’s very sensitive of him. It’s bad enough to be feeling a little arthritic. We surely don’t want to be heading through a door that says DOA !

On the other hand DOA has a nice ring to it.

• It is a medical term, dead on arrival, meaning that a person was already dead upon the arrival of medical personnel. Oops. Sorry. That’s the reminder we’re trying to avoid here, isn’t it?
• D.O.A. was a 1950 movie, and if you remember it, you have business with the Department of Elder Affairs.
• It was also a 1988 movie and If you only saw the D.O.A. remake with Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, try the DONQOTH BC, Department of Not Quite Over the Hill, But Close.
• If you think DOA stands for Dogbert Outplacement Agency (Dilbert), you probably have a sense of humor that allows you to think Iowa’s DOA flap is funny.
• If you think that DOA stands for the band Disciples of Annihilation with hits like Ya Mutha and Pound Down on Your Brain, I’m sure you’re not reading this blog.

In the meantime, don’t take yourself too seriously.

photo by flickr by Mike Licht