Hide the Silver!

Back before we knew this illness was upon us (which makes me wonder just how long this has been going on), my husband would blame our children if something went missing. But of course they didn't have anything to do with it. He would go into our daughter's room (she was still living at home) to retrieve items he thought were his, but they weren't. They were hers. I found it astonishing at the time, but now it makes perfect sense. No amount of reasoning with him would help him to understand that the item he had in hand was not his. And that is especially true now, years later.

Alzheimer's patients have a tendency to acquire things through Five Finger Discount. Kleptomania is an impulse control disorder, and folks with advanced Alzheimer's have zero impulse control. They aren't stealing in the traditional sense of the word. Rather, the item is familiar or desirable for one reason or other, ends up in hand, goes in pocket, then is squirreled away. Candy bars, water bottles, pens, magazines, tennis balls, refrigerator magnets, restaurant silverware, earrings and other shiny objects...it's all fair game.

Is it a little embarrassing to return these items to their rightful owners? Of course. But people are surprisingly understanding of the situation and appreciative of the honesty. Thankfully!

The other day, a set of forks went missing from a place setting on the dining room table. I thought he had probably picked them up and moved them to another part of the room, or to the adjacent living room. Naturally, he vehemently denied having anything whatsoever to do with it when I casually asked if he'd seen them. They weren't in his coat pocket or in his jeans pocket. I knew they would turn up eventually, and they did: by the sink in the master bathroom. How did that happen, I wonder?

All of that to say this:  If you're expecting us over at your place, or you see us walking into your store, watch him like a hawk. He's quick when he wants to be. Also, hide the silver!