Iowa legal term
Elder abuse in Iowa Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Iowa legislative session
In Iowa criminal law, “Elder abuse” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Iowa criminal code.
What does “Elder abuse” mean in Iowa criminal law?
“Elder abuse” means the abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, isolation, or sexual exploitation of an older individual. “Elder abuse” does not include any of the following: (1) Circumstances in which the older individual declines medical treatment if the older individual holds a belief or is an adherent of a religion whose tenets and practices call for reliance on spiritual means in place of reliance on medical treatment. (Iowa Code § 726.24)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.