Recently there was a topic of nursing home quilts and other property being stolen. I had shared my husband had been in senior care for many years and a few thoughts on the matter. Tonight he asked what was one of the chat topic and I told him of this one. He shared there also is something commonly refered to as 'shopping'. Residents will go into each others room and take things they like, return to their room and hide it. In all most all cases it is not a malicious act but it requires the staff to basically do a strip down complete room to room search looking in and under things- even between the matresses. So- if you have a family member in senior care- request a search be done and do follow up that they are looking. Even if they don't turn up what you are missing, they may find other items gone missing. To cap that with an actual incident. My husband had been given a very expensive pen and had carried it into one of the senoir care facilities he was inspecting. One of the residents remarked how shiney it was. When he got home it was no where to be found. Several days later the staff phoned to let him know he could pick up his pen at the front desk and it was sanitized and bagged. Turned out the sweet little frail alzheinmer impaired woman had taken it right from under his nose and stuck it in the back of her underwear. The staff decided they better check what was up as she kept adjusting her underwear and refused to allow them to help her in anyway. Okay- so a quilt is a little big for that, but you may be surprised where it turns up. Now that I think of it, I remeber his telling me not to bring anything into the homes we could not keep a hand on- to include the kids- the residents were forever taking them off places and introducing them as their grandchild or trying to tuck them in their own bed.

This may seem funny, but my aunt would continously have her teeth stolen. After 4 sets her family quit buying her teeth. My aunt swore she knew who stole one set, but couldn't prove it. I think I would have engraved initials in them if I would have been a family member

What a thought. It's a shame someone can't have something thats means something to them in a place that has to be considered their home.

It is not only the residents, but the aides will take lotions and soaps and things from one resident to use on another resident and then "forget" to return. Remember, use black magic marker and write the resident name in big bold letters on everything you take in.

I worked in dental for many years so may have a tip on that. Grossly enough there actually are places that will take an old denture an fit it to someone else- perhaps with the new laws on health issues hat may be illegal(that's besides the point). Dentures now actually are made with the persons name on them . They look like a tiny clear printed label adhered to the inside of the plate that fits against the roof of the mouth or the lower gum line. We often saw residents from homes who were claiming they had been taken or other reasons they wouldn't wear them -because they conciously could not connect the fact that the pain they had in their mouth was that the structure of the mouth was changing (deteriorating) and the dentures needed refitting. There was one instance where a woman brought her husband in who was a very petite frail man with ahlzhiemers. The doctor cleared us all out of the room after looking at the denture afraid for our safety. That little old man had taken his lower denture which was a metal horsesharped frame and literally crushed it in his hand. Why was the Doctors afraid for the staffs safety- because those dentures are formed by machines exerting hundreds of pounds of pressure. Staff in senior settings often find dentures places they don't expect- like in the wash.

I made a quilt for a gentleman in a care home. So far he still has it. I used my machine to stitch his name around the entire quilt. I sewed a label on the back with his name on it, embroidered in bright blue and then I used the embroidery unit to put his name on the front in neon orange. If anyone gets anywhere near that quilt, they will know who it belongs to.

Gee, we know about Senior Senility and Senior Abuse, but......Senior Pirates??! That's a new one on me! Who'da thought....?

Jan in VA

This happens in most nursing home facilities. I know it happened all the time in the one my father was in.

[quote=HummerGardenCrafts]This happens in most nursing home facilities. I know it happened all the time in the one my father was in.
---------------------------
I suspect this happens frequently in all care homes. That old demon Alzheimer's is the reason. My DH was in a nursing home for 3 years, and he was always losing things. There was one sweet little lady who went around to empty rooms and searched the bedside drawers, removing anything that caught her eye. The workers there regularly searched HER room and returned found objects to their proper rooms. Only now and then did anyone get really upset about this, most knew it would return to them. My own DH got upset when someone stole his chocolates!! That he would not share!!

Things do disappear in assisted living facilities, more so in dementia units. Alzheimer’s patients leave things behind (like glasses, sweaters, etc. or they put them in unusual places.) They also like a little child innocently take what they want because they want it. It’s a good idea to put their name on everything even glasses by taping a small sticky note identified by color or nail polish on the side of the glasses – part that goes over your ear.)

sometimes it is the resident mis=placing their own objects and not someone taking them- when people do not always remember- it is easy enough to jump to (incorrect) conclusions when something is missing.
i made grandma a quilt she has in the care facility- family takes it home to launder instead of it going to the facility laundry-
one day grandma took the quilt to lunch with her- and spilled her soup on it---a caring aid ran to the rescue and took the quilt straight to laundry-
about 2 hours later (aid gone home for the day) grandma called daughter freaking right out that someone had STOLE her quilt!- panic sets in- search demanded- resident's up-rooted- accusations made---ugly ugly day---people who were visiting that day were even called at home and accused/questioned---
of course the next morning the quilt came back to her room all fresh and fine with the rest of her laundery....and many apologies were in order---when i was called later that night (of the missing) i said..."did anyone check with laundry?" of course the response was---"NO- the laundry is not allowed to wash her quilt"---
well, gee- maybe should check anyway---before kicking old folks out of their beds so they can be searched.

What a sad commentary on nursing homes in all ways....I know there are more horror stories and pray I die at my sewing machine!

Acutally they do mark the dentures! LOL

Me too!

My dear niece had her cell phone and saddlebag taken the last time she was put in the hospital for a couple weeks ( sdhe is in a nursing hime). This padst week she was taken to the hospital again while having seizures, and was there for a week, I'm wondering if her Kindle, phone and quilt I made for her will be there when she get back. Her name is on the quilt, but I don't know if her daughter thought to mark the KIndle or not. We almost lost her this time, she has a DNR, and was at that point, but the doctor may send her back to the home today, even though she is still having mild seizures.

maybe all things should have those chips put in that you can use a remote to click and find when they "chirp"!!

When I had my surgery my daughter stayed with me for a few nights,we were told by other patients it was a good idea. She left her pillow and pajamas in my room at the hospital. One day while I was out of the room for some reason her jammies and pillow were taken. Go figure.

The response of the administrator of a senior care facility often is reactionary to irrate and those habitually griping families who feel nothing is enough. Many hours are spent calming family members and Administrators have to shut their door at times to them so they can focus on the task of actually caring fro the residents and staff. If you do hve to get their attention yo'l get a great deal more help and empathy if you note you realize they are very busy and would very much appreciate their help- granted there are some who are not helpful but generally they are and want to ensure your family members well being is at it's best. If you question if they are not caring for yor family member contact the ombudsman who can intervine