Sedated, Silenced, and Scammed

"Aging in America" podcast episode, "Sedated, Silenced, and Scammed." The episode highlights a disturbing trend of elder abuse involving the misuse of powerful antipsychotic medications as chemical restraints and coordinated legal exploitation through the guardianship system. Personal stories, statistical data, and examples of legal cases are presented to illustrate the severity and systemic nature of this issue. The core message is a call to action for greater transparency, reform of guardianship laws, and increased protection for vulnerable elderly individuals.


Main Themes and Key Ideas:


The Crisis of Chemical Restraints: A central theme is the widespread and inappropriate use of powerful antipsychotic medications on elderly residents in long-term care facilities. These drugs, designed for conditions like schizophrenia, are often administered without a diagnosis of psychosis, primarily for behavioral control and to ease the burden on understaffed caregivers.


Key Fact: According to a 2020 Human Rights Watch report, an estimated 179,000 nursing home residents are given antipsychotic medications without a diagnosis of psychosis.


 

Categories: Daytime

Director: Tam Lawrence

Starring: Better Aging Bureau

Country: United States