Why Is Your Loved One Accusing People of Stealing Her Belongings?

Elder Care in Southampton NY: Why Is Your Loved One Accusing People of Stealing Her Belongings?

Whether it’s an accusation against her elder care providers or you, your loved one may at some point decide that her favorite belongings are being stolen. Why would she say that and what can you do?

Common in Dementia

Any elderly loved one can certainly start to believe that everyone is stealing her belongings, but this particular symptom is extremely common in conditions such as dementia. Having memory issues can cause your loved one to be extremely suspicious of everyone around her. No matter whether the situation makes sense or not, it can be deeply upsetting for you and it can be very real to your elderly loved one.

It’s About Loss

Ultimately, it can help if you look at your loved one’s behavior in this regard as a reaction to the loss that she’s experiencing. On a deeper level, she may realize that she’s lost yet another object of hers and the way that she finds to cope with this is to claim that the item must have been stolen. Unfortunately, this coping mechanism causes other problems.

Don’t Take it Personally

It’s easier said than done, but don’t take this personally, even when your loved one is accusing you of having stolen a precious item of hers. If you allow yourself to believe that your loved one honestly means it and truly thinks you’ve stolen something, you’re going to become sidelined by your hurt feelings. Accept that this behavior isn’t fun or pleasant, but it’s not personal.

Help Your Loved One Look

The best thing you can do is offer to help your loved one to look for her missing item. If you can start to stock up on duplicates of items that frequently go missing, this is even better. Learn your loved one’s “stash spots” so that you can cut down on some of the time searching, too.

Don’t Argue with Your Loved One

Above all, don’t argue with your loved one. Arguing is only going to escalate the situation and make it much larger than it has to be. Say noncommittal things, express sympathy, and offer to help your loved one look. Arguing that your loved one misplaced her item is only going to make everything worse.

Let your loved one’s doctor know what is going on so that he can help you to manage any possible causes for what your loved one is experiencing.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional elder care in Southampton, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001