“Guardianship or Hostage? When the Courts Take Control of Seniors’ Lives”

Welcome to Aging in America, the podcast powered by the Better Aging Bureau—where the truth about elder care isn’t sugar-coated or softened, but told straight, backed by facts, and led by lived experience.


I’m your host, Tam Lawrence, and today’s episode asks a chilling question:


“Guardianship… or hostage?”


That’s right. We’re diving deep into one of the most controversial and often secretive systems in elder care: the court-appointed guardianship system—a system that was built to protect, but in too many cases, is used to isolate, exploit, and silence.


So grab your notepad—or maybe a tissue—because this one is personal, political, and powerful.


🎙️: What Is Guardianship, Really?
Let’s start with the basics.


A guardianship is a legal tool where a court decides that someone—usually a senior—is no longer able to make their own decisions. When that happens, the court gives power to another person, called a guardian, to manage the elder’s life. That includes their money, medical decisions, housing—even who they can see.


In theory, guardianship is supposed to help when someone truly can't take care of themselves.


But here’s the problem:


In too many states, it’s far too easy to declare someone “incapacitated”—and once guardianship is granted, oversight can be dangerously weak.


According to the National Council on Disability:


“There are over 1.3 million Americans currently under guardianship, controlling more than $50 billion in assets—yet there is no national system for tracking, auditing, or protecting them.”


Let that sink in. That’s a $50 billion system with almost no federal accountability.


https://www.betteragingbureau.org
https://www.synerkare.com

Director: Tam Lawrence

Starring: Tam Lawrence

Country: United States