The Silent Epidemic Ep. 1

The inaugural episode of the "Aging in America" podcast, hosted by Tam Lawrence and produced in partnership with the Better Aging Bureau, serves as a "blistering" and "surgical" investigation into the widespread issue of elder abuse and systemic failures within the American elder care system. 


Based on empirical data and research provided by investigator Tam Lawrence, the episode highlights the devastating scope of the problem, exposes legal and systemic barriers to accountability, and discusses recent legislative efforts while emphasizing the critical need for enforcement and action.


Main Themes and Key Ideas:


The Pervasiveness and Severity of Elder Abuse: The episode starkly reveals that elder abuse is a "silent epidemic" with devastating consequences for millions of older adults and their families. This abuse encompasses various forms, including physical abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.


Alarming Statistics Underscoring the Crisis: The podcast presents "shocking" and "devastating" statistics to illustrate the scale of the problem. 


Key figures include:


5 million older adults are abused every year in the United States.


Only 1 in 24 of those cases is ever reported. This highlights a significant underreporting issue, suggesting the true numbers are likely much higher.


In 2022 alone, over 17,000 violations were issued to nursing homes for putting residents in immediate danger. This points to significant safety concerns within care facilities.


Financial exploitation of seniors results in estimated losses of $36.5 billion annually. This demonstrates the immense financial toll on older adults and their families.


The "Nursing Home Secrecy Act" and Legal Barriers to Accountability: A central and disturbing revelation is what Lawrence terms the "Nursing Home Secrecy Act." While not a formal law, this term describes a system that "legally suppressed under the guise of “standard policy”" the exposure of abuse and neglect. 
 


Sponsored by the Better Aging Bureau - 


Visit https://www.synerlead.com 

Director: Tam Lawrence

Starring: Better Aging Bureau President

Country: United States