In Florida, seniors are valuable members of our communities. Having chosen our beautiful state to live out their golden years, they expect peace, relaxation, and sunshine.

But what is supposed to be a reward for a lifetime of hard work can quickly become a nightmare if they become victim to guardianship abuse.

Legitimate guardianships are established by state courts when it is determined that an individual is unable to attend to their financial and personal affairs. The appointed guardian is given vast control over the individual under their care, including power of attorney, control over their bank accounts, property, and assets, and the ability to make medical decisions. Unfortunately, these wide-ranging responsibilities leave room for bad actors to take advantage of those under their care — lining their pockets with the assets they were tasked with administering.

Like sharks hunting prey, unscrupulous guardians are on the hunt for vulnerable seniors to isolate, abuse, and defraud. What makes this problem especially difficult to solve is the lack of oversight, transparency, and accountability within state-administered guardianship systems. For example, we don’t even know how many Americans are under guardianship, deprived of their personhood or their ability to make critical decisions for themselves.

Continue reading at The Hill.