Where do clothes go????

[Juba]

Over the last few years various 'things' have gone missing. The standing joke at one time was to look in the hedges when I couldn't find anything. Often missing pans, garden tools etc. would be found if I looked in the hedges round where we live. Waste food such as banana skins, apple cores were often just thrown out the door or window!
Most recently tho' clothes seem to just disappear. I don't mean just socks but tops, trousers, coats etc. I've looked everywhere I can think of and still no sign. I am aware that my OH can just take a dislike to something he's been wearing for some time. He did this with a fleece recently. Because he suddenly became aware that it was a 'Peter Storm' fleece he then decided it wasn't his but 'that bloke's'. Even after I cut the label out it's still referred to as 'not his' but 'that other bloke's'.
I've booked a short holiday for us and am having to pack the bag in advance to make sure clothes don't suddenly disappear. I haven't been able to track down a few pairs of trousers after totally sorting through wardrobes etc. Any suggestions?

 

[Shedrech]

Hi @Juba
Have you checked the dustbins ... he could be literally throwing them out

 

[MissKC]

My mum did exactly this - threw everything in the dustbin! Before she went into care I used to go to her house several times a week and go through the bins, retrieve her clothes and take them home to wash before returning them. Sometimes she would hide them in and amongst waste food in the bin. Other times she would cut them up - so I had to confiscate all scissors and knives from her house.

 

[canary]

Our house regularly has plastic bags for "charity" delivered. You are supposed to fill them with unwanted clothes and leave it outside the house. Does anything like that happen at your dads house and could he be "following instructions"?

 

[Palerider]

Mums clothes end up in the wierdest of places, she has recently taken to packing her knickers and bras into the bottom kitchen draw and various items I found wrapped in bin bag in an attempt to hide the ones she couldn't remember what to do next with, having worn them for several days. She also has an uncanny knack of hiding them in the most odd places -try the back of the sofa if you don't get behind it very often

Last night I found a jam doughnut wrapped in kitchen towel hidden in my bedroom??? -It sure wasn't me that put it there

 

[Juba]

Thanks for suggestions. A few more places I can check then

 

[Lynmax]

Mums clothes end up in the wierdest of places, she has recently taken to packing her knickers and bras into the bottom kitchen draw and various items I found wrapped in bin bag in an attempt to hide the ones she couldn't remember what to do next with, having worn them for several days. She also has an uncanny knack of hiding them in the most odd places -try the back of the sofa if you don't get behind it very often

Last night I found a jam doughnut wrapped in kitchen towel hidden in my bedroom??? -It sure wasn't me that put it there

This made me laugh Palerider, the thought of finding a jam doughnut in your bedroom! Maybe your mum thought you might need a little snack during the night?

It reminds me of the three boxes of quiche that my sister found in mums bedside cabinet - she has gone on a search to find what the rank smell was, the quiches were green and slimy!

 

[marionq]

When my husband was in this phase he liked to fold things very carefully and hide them under the mattress, behind cushions or pillows, inside pillow slips. He’s moved on since then but still likes to put tissues between the leaves of a magazine and smooth the whole thing numerous times. It seems to b the act of tidying away and making things neat which is pleasing.

 

[Bikerbeth]

When my husband was in this phase he liked to fold things very carefully and hide them under the mattress, behind cushions or pillows, inside pillow slips. He’s moved on since then but still likes to put tissues between the leaves of a magazine and smooth the whole thing numerous times. It seems to b the act of tidying away and making things neat which is pleasing.

So reassured to read this as I did wonder why Mum does this with kitchen roll

 

[Toony Oony]

Ah yes @marionq and @Bikerbeth - the wondrous kitchen roll and boxes of tissues. In the end I stopped taking boxes of tissues into the CH for Mum as she could go through a whole box in next to no time. The smoothing, the folding, the arranging, the tucking one in her sleeves, pants, vest .... you name it - and then of course as she didn't tuck them in effectively, when she stood up and moved ... she left a tissue trail. Several times I have gone into her room to find it 'decorated' like Christmas decorations with a heady mix of tissues and incontinence pants draped over everything.

@Juba - my Mum used to squish food down sink drains, shower drains, the loo and regularly out of the window. Low flying yoghurt is no fun! My Mum's fave hidey hole was under the seat cushions of the sofa and armchairs and under the mattress (how she lifted it I will never know). Basically if it has a hole and/or a space - it can be used to hoard stuff. Also - clothes stained by 'accidents' were thrown away in the rubbish. I have just emptied Mum's home prior to sale, and every vase, ornament etc was crammed full of old photos, coins, bits of paper - and every conceivable space was stuffed with 'stuff'. Good luck!

 

[Palerider]

This made me laugh Palerider, the thought of finding a jam doughnut in your bedroom! Maybe your mum thought you might need a little snack during the night?

It reminds me of the three boxes of quiche that my sister found in mums bedside cabinet - she has gone on a search to find what the rank smell was, the quiches were green and slimy!

Makes me chuckle how she doesn't remember anything when out shopping until we get to the bakery counter and she legs it to pick up a bag of five jam doughnuts, without fail every time.

 

[Lynmax]

Makes me chuckle how she doesn't remember anything when out shopping until we get to the bakery counter and she legs it to pick up a bag of five jam doughnuts, without fail every time.

It's the same as when I go out for lunch with mum. She moans that there is too much food on her plate and she cannot eat it all - but then finds room for dessert!

 

[Palerider]

It's the same as when I go out for lunch with mum. She moans that there is too much food on her plate and she cannot eat it all - but then finds room for dessert!

Ah yes, sugary things take priority these days. Not only does mum remember to pick up said jam doughnuts, she will proceed to eat them before I put the dinner out and then complain she can't eat her dinner. She also sneeks into the living room and munches on bounty bars or mars bars and thinks I don't know what she's been up to.

 

[Palerider]

@Toony Oony I have a similar problem with tissues, kitchen roll and toilet roll. I am not quite sure where it all go's but we seem to be propping up the sales of these items quite well. On one occasion when I did a sweep of mums room I found her linen basket full of tissues/toilet roll, no clothes -this led to a major concern as to where the clothes had gone to ?? The mystery has never been solved on the clothes front, but it did in part answer what happened to all the tissues etc.

 

[canary]

A tissue obsession seems to be really common in dementia. My mum had tissues everywhere, in pockets, up her sleeves, tucked in waistbands, even in her bra-straps and her handbag was stuffed to overflowing with them. They were all over the house, often wrapped around items that had been hidden and she had bought so many boxes (plus toilet rolls) that I didnt need to buy her any more in the three years that she was in her care home - I just used up her "stock"!

 

[DesperateofDevon]

So reassured to read this as I did wonder why Mum does this with kitchen roll

What is it with kitchen roll!!!!! I’m still finding it in pockets, drawers etc is it the dementia equivalent to a binky ( comfort blanket / dummy from childhood)?

 

[canary]

I dont know @DesperateofDevon , but its a definite dementia "thing"

 

[DesperateofDevon]

A tissue obsession seems to be really common in dementia. My mum had tissues everywhere, in pockets, up her sleeves, tucked in waistbands, even in her bra-straps and her handbag was stuffed to overflowing with them. They were all over the house, often wrapped around items that had been hidden and she had bought so many boxes (plus toilet rolls) that I didnt need to buy her any more in the three years that she was in her care home - I just used up her "stock"!

That’s made me smile @canary Mum could supply a supermarket along with rice pudding!
Wrapping food in tissues & hiding it is another habit that is common- even in hospital !!!

 

[LadyA]

Last night I found a jam doughnut wrapped in kitchen towel hidden in my bedroom??? -It sure wasn't me that put it there

A likely story!
Maybe your mum wanted to give you a treat?

 

[DesperateofDevon]

I dont know @DesperateofDevon , but its a definite dementia "thing"

It’s never a clean bit when you find it either? Do you think it’s a generational thing - austerity after the war?