Courtesy Shock

DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) – A plan to rename Iowa's department for the elderly will not result in its tag becoming the same as hospital code for "dead on arrival," the agency's chief said on Wednesday. State lawmakers raised eyebrows when they voted earlier on Wednesday to change the name of the Department of Elder Affairs to the Department on Aging, or DOA. Director John McCalley said he would use the shorthand DA instead. "You can't have an acronym like this when you're referring to elderly people," said Representative Dave Heaton, 68, when the legislature approved the change. Lawmakers want to make the department's name conform with those of federal agencies that deal with the elderly, said Representative Janet Petersen, 38. She said the department's existing name is also a problem because some older Iowans dislike being referred to as "elders." Iowa's governor must approve the change for it to become law