CHICAGO – New laws signed by Gov. Pat Quinn over the weekend are aimed at protecting the elderly in Illinois by increasing oversight of caregivers and making it easier for authorities to respond to cases of abuse or neglect.

One of the new pieces of legislation allows prosecutors to ask a court to freeze a suspect’s assets if charged with financial exploitation of an elderly person. That’s meant to keep a defendant from spending stolen money before restitution is collected.

Another new measure allows police and fire departments access to reports of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation against the elderly.