The state of Iowa has made elder isolation a misdemeanor criminal offense. Under the new law, passed in June, it's the least serious of all the various types of elder abuse. So, I can't imagine law enforcement throwing a lot of resources at investigating, charging, and prosecuting anything but the most egregious isolation cases. But progress is progress. Any legal deterrence of elder isolation is progress!

There was no such deterrence available when my father was isolated in Illinois for seven straight years. Being able to point Dad's isolators to a criminal statute, I might have had some leverage with them. As it was, every day for seven years, they refused even to discuss their total denial of his right to receive my visits.   

It's good news that there may be a criminal court route to combatting malicious elder isolation--not just the civil one I established in 2018 in Illinois, but which still contains a major loophole for powers of attorney. I'm hoping there is no such loophole in Iowa's criminal statute. Stay tuned!