In the later years of life are supposedly the most leisurely, secured, and relaxing years preceded by a lifetime of labor. But for more and more American seniors, the golden years have turned into new frustrations and problems they never had to face during their working years. There are many reason for this, but the biggest reason is that the laws and regulations that are designed to help seniors don’t work.
Failed Safety Nets
The safety nets of family and community have fallen apart, and many seniors find themselves more and more isolated and vulnerable. The once venerable institutions of pensions and Medicare, have been chipped away to the point where many seniors have no other choice than to look for work to support themselves. Senior abuse is rampant, and many con artists prey on the aged. Where are the laws and regulations designed to protect the senior American?
These laws exist, but have been degraded by the poor economy, bad political choices and an ever growing senior population that is living longer than any previous generation. As a response to the increasing lifespan of seniors, the federal government has increased the minimum ages required to access many of the government benefits. The increase in age means that many seniors will have to work many years longer than their parents did, to enjoy less benefits. This is a huge problem in an economy that has been hit hard by an economic downturn. Many employers are choosing to hire younger workers, the ones who the employers can pay less, than to retain older and more expensive workers.
Lack of Enforcement
This leads to another reason why laws and regulations meant to protect seniors are failing. The money needed to enforce these laws and to pay for the regulations is simply not there. As many cities throughout America struggle with dire economic conditions, paying for seniors has been put on the back burner. Without new, well-paid jobs to increase the tax base, the situation will simply continue to deteriorate. In response to this, and to try to appease the senior voters, many politicians have rushed to create stopgap measures without fully understanding the complexity of the issues involved. Often these measures create more problems down the road, than they correct.
Fraud Runs Rampant
The last area where the government fails older American is by protecting them from fraud. Laws and regulations meant to protect seniors from financial fraud are often too lax and do too little to safeguard older Americans. Too often seniors who are desperate for financial security join surefire investment schemes that turn out to be scams. When, and if, the perpetrators of these scams are caught, the seniors’ money is already gone and the criminal sentences are too light to dissuade others from prey on the aged.
America owes much to its older generations and it is time that the regulations and laws meant to protect them are strongly enforced. It is up to all Americans to make sure that the government does its duty, because all of us will, hopefully, be old one and we will want to have the protection that today’s seniors are too often denied. If you believe someone you love have been a victim, contact our office for a consultation.
