How come when people go to respite or for a stay in hospital things go missing even with name's are sewn into every single garment, and a list of what the person has goes with them? Oh and medication that should be packed, is left where the person has just come from, Why does this happen?
Stuff missing.
- Thread starter Carabosse
- Start date
Now, I'm no expert, but there must be other patients suffering from confusion, entering a room by mistake, taking stuff... I heard that it happens a lot in these places, with the dementia sufferers.
My mother had been in hospital for 8 months, so you can imagine the clobber she had accumulated. She was taken direct to NH in England and arrived in a nightie and dressing gown and slippers and a gopping green cardigan that was about 10 years old And nothing else with her not one thing. Luckily I had bought all new stuff for her so that wasn't too much of a problem.
So, I phoned a friend in Scotland and asked if she had all mum's stuff but she said no. Said she had been out there last night and that everything was all folded on her bed ready for the move. She said she had even taken her in a nice outfit from the house for her to wear. To this day, nothing has appeared. Zilch. There must be a few warehouses in Scotland full of ex hospital patients belongings!!
You have my sympathies.
Fiona
So, I phoned a friend in Scotland and asked if she had all mum's stuff but she said no. Said she had been out there last night and that everything was all folded on her bed ready for the move. She said she had even taken her in a nice outfit from the house for her to wear. To this day, nothing has appeared. Zilch. There must be a few warehouses in Scotland full of ex hospital patients belongings!!
You have my sympathies.
Fiona
I know there might be residents taking things accidently, but when names are in every item they shouldn't go missing, and the cost to replace them isn't cheap. A pair of trousers went missing from her old respite place and i got them to pay for the replacement, which they did, but i can't be expected to do this everytime mum goes somewhere!
I would not be hasty to blame others, my mum has lost loads of stuff in her own house. lots of it has never reappeared. Other bits including clothing was found in completely inappropriate cupboards and other places. And this was before the days of carers so it was nothing to do with them.
Dementia patients do weird things with stuff. I would be willing to be that a lot of the things that go missing are simply put into places like wastebins or in extreme circumstances jammed down toilets and so on. The patients do this with their own things but also with other peoples as well. The nurses cannot possibly keep track of it all and probably for hygiene reasons can't go rummaging through bins which are often medical waste ones, or to heave cupboards about to see what has been wedged behind them,
It happens all the time and is one of the reasons someone with dementia thinks there is a mystery thief. Things get put in the oddest of places like clothes into the freezer and then can't be found.
Years ago we couldn't find my dad's war medals which were obviously quite precious. We never managed to find them having turned the house upside down, not even after he died and we were able to go through his things with a fine tooth comb. We were able to buy replacements as fortunately they were not rare medals (though he though they were) but ones that got handed out to tens of thousands so a local militaria shop had them for a few pounds. But we sadly concluded he had simply thrown them away at some point, so presumably they ended up in the dustbins without our knowing.
It happens all the time and is one of the reasons someone with dementia thinks there is a mystery thief. Things get put in the oddest of places like clothes into the freezer and then can't be found.
Years ago we couldn't find my dad's war medals which were obviously quite precious. We never managed to find them having turned the house upside down, not even after he died and we were able to go through his things with a fine tooth comb. We were able to buy replacements as fortunately they were not rare medals (though he though they were) but ones that got handed out to tens of thousands so a local militaria shop had them for a few pounds. But we sadly concluded he had simply thrown them away at some point, so presumably they ended up in the dustbins without our knowing.
Agreed. My mother's CH is a bit like Kleptomania Central - named things have gone missing, but to find them would entail going through many other rooms with a toothcomb. So I have never made a to-do about it, esp. since I have sometimes found other people's things, inc. photos, in her room.
My aunt would hide all sorts - she once complained that someone had stolen a ring - it was found only after an exhaustive search of her CH room by sister and BIL who happened to be there at the time. She had wrapped it up in loads of loo paper and put it in the bin. But it could so easily have been thrown out. At this point she didn't even have particularly bad AD.
Also, she would stuff items of clothing in the bin after 'accidents' and sometimes they were too manky to rescue. She would sometimes put them down the loo, too - it caused several blockages.
My mums CH is the same, on the first week she went in her handbag disappeared now 6 months later its turned up. She often has other peoples clothes on, even tho all her clothes have her name on. When I asked the carers about this they said the other residents often wander in and out each others room. When I buy her presents I dont get her anything expensive because of this, but I dont worry to much because she is happy and settled there and they are only material things.
In the 10+ years my mother has been in a nursing home, I've run into this also. Sometimes the labels come off clothing, so there's a huge stack of clothing in the laundry room which I rummage through occasionally. I must confess that I rummage through it less and less now - I've reached the point where it's so much easier for me to buy new clothing.
Sometimes clothing ends up in the wrong room, through simple human error. I have found other people's clothing in my mum's dresser and closet and returned them. I suspect that items of my mother's have ended up in other closets and dresser and when that person died, the family cleaned everything out without really looking at things.
I've long since stopped troubling myself about things going missing, as I have removed anything of real or sentimental value. It's only clothing and I enjoy buying Mum new clothes. I triage through her clothing regularly and get rid of clothes getting tired and worn and buy her new things. I want her to look as nice as possible.
Sometimes clothing ends up in the wrong room, through simple human error. I have found other people's clothing in my mum's dresser and closet and returned them. I suspect that items of my mother's have ended up in other closets and dresser and when that person died, the family cleaned everything out without really looking at things.
I've long since stopped troubling myself about things going missing, as I have removed anything of real or sentimental value. It's only clothing and I enjoy buying Mum new clothes. I triage through her clothing regularly and get rid of clothes getting tired and worn and buy her new things. I want her to look as nice as possible.
I'm really sorry but it's probably all in my Mum's handbag. We try and return whatever we find but it just gets replaced by other stuff.
I think it's a bit of swings and roundabouts in Mum's care home, she's acquired stuff but she's also lost stuff. I suppose longer term you get used to it as it works both ways but I know we got annoyed when she lost stuff whilst on respite.
I think it's a bit of swings and roundabouts in Mum's care home, she's acquired stuff but she's also lost stuff. I suppose longer term you get used to it as it works both ways but I know we got annoyed when she lost stuff whilst on respite.
I know that the clothes were with her when she went to respite as a list goes with mum so i know what she has with her, some clothes went missing over the festive period when she was in hospital then went to respite from there, as for bins they have small waste bins which couldn't hold clothes. I know the clothes are not in the house and mum hasn't hidden them anywhere as she doesn't hide things as she doesn't handle her clothes except what is laid out for her.
My son came home from the day centre last week wearing the biggest pair of womens pants you have ever seen in your life.
Somewhere in County Durham, there was a girl, a big one, wearing stripey boxer shorts.
I wonder if her Mam laughed too?
I think the best thing Carabosse is not to send things that are precious and not to be precious about the things that are there.
And if all else fails...look in virg's Mum's handbag.
Somewhere in County Durham, there was a girl, a big one, wearing stripey boxer shorts.
I wonder if her Mam laughed too?
I think the best thing Carabosse is not to send things that are precious and not to be precious about the things that are there.
And if all else fails...look in virg's Mum's handbag.