The Silent Epidemic: Negatively Impacting the Aging in America
“The only thing more terrifying than growing old in America—is trusting a system that’s designed to fail you.”
Sponsored by The Better Aging Bureau
That’s how host Tam Lawrence opens the inaugural episode of Aging in America, a blistering new podcast series that trades comfort for confrontation. Produced in partnership with the Better Aging Bureau, this isn’t your average public affairs program—it’s investigative journalism with a pulse.
And that pulse? It's racing.
The Stats That Stopped Us Cold
The numbers presented in the first episode are not just shocking—they're devastating:
5 million older adults are abused every year in the United States.
Only 1 in 24 of those cases is ever reported.
In 2022 alone, over 17,000 violations were issued to nursing homes for putting residents in immediate danger.
Financial exploitation of seniors results in estimated losses of $36.5 billion annually.
These figures aren't just data points—they represent real lives. Real families. Real suffering that, as the show reveals, is often legally suppressed under the guise of “standard policy.”
The Secrecy Act: Hiding Abuse Behind Legal Loopholes
One of the most disturbing revelations in Episode 1 is the role of what Lawrence refers to as the “Nursing Home Secrecy Act.” While not an official piece of legislation, it’s a term used to describe a system of forced arbitration clauses, non-disclosure agreements, and legal barriers that prevent families from exposing abuse, neglect, and even wrongful death inside senior care facilities.
Most families sign away their right to sue without realizing it. Some are threatened into silence. Others simply never live to tell the story.
This episode isn’t subtle—it’s surgical.
Behind Closed Doors: The Dark Reality of Elder Care
Lawrence’s tone is sharp, unwavering, and emotionally tethered to her own experience as a former caregiver. She walks listeners through real-life scenarios: an elder with bedsores down to the bone, a woman’s entire savings wiped out by a court-appointed guardian, and a 91-year-old man left in soiled linens for days—his family barred from visiting under COVID-era lockdown loopholes.
There’s even a chilling recording from a whistleblower describing falsified records and deliberate understaffing in a major care facility.
This podcast goes beyond headlines—it presents evidence.
New Laws, New Hope—But Are They Enough?
Episode 1 also highlights recent legislative efforts aimed at combating elder abuse:
The 2023 Elder Justice Reauthorization Act, which expands funding for investigations and staff training.
The Senior Financial Protection Act of 2024, addressing fraud targeting older adults.
And bipartisan calls to end forced arbitration clauses in nursing home contracts—something long used to shield facilities from lawsuits.
But as Lawrence puts it, “Laws don’t save lives if no one enforces them.”
Why This Podcast Matters
With its journalistic backbone and activist spirit, Aging in America feels like a seismic event in the media landscape. It’s not here to entertain—it’s here to expose.
This first episode establishes the show as an indispensable tool for caregivers, families, healthcare professionals, legal advocates, and anyone who’s ever worried about what happens to our parents—and eventually, to us.
It’s a podcast that will make you angry, informed, and ultimately—empowered.
Listen. Learn. Take Action.
Tam Lawrence closes the episode with a challenge: “If we don’t pull back the veil, more lives will be lost.”
And after listening, you’ll believe her.
Aging in America is available on all major podcast platforms and is syndicated by Exposure Plus TV, streaming in 128 countries.