My mother keeps hiding her dentures. Example: She hid them Saturday night and the next morning it took about 45 minutes to find them (in a shoe box in the bottom of her closet), then she took them out again before noon to take a 10 minute nap, again it took me almost an hour to find them (in her boots wrapped in toilet paper), She went to bed at 8 pm, I told her that I will put them in her bathroom, we both put them in her bathroom in the cabinet. She got up at 9ish and started complaining that someone took her teeth. I went in the bathroom and sure enough, she had moved them. It took me a long time to find them. They were in a box that was in the jewelry box. She had removed the necklace and replaced it with her dentures. When I told her she needed to stop hiding her dentures, she said that she didn't put them there. I then told her that I will take her dentures and put them up and give them to her whenever she asked. She threw a big fit accusing me of taking her dentures to give back her dentures. So again I gave them back to her. We both put them in the medicine cabinet and she so they won't get lost again. Sure enough, she woke me up at 1am saying someone stole her dentures. Yes, she again hid them. I again looked everywhere for her dentures and finally found them in her sock drawer in socks.
Now I can handle the hiding of things, (food, dentures, yarn, crochet needles, shoes, TV remote, etc, wearing the same clothes, refusing to change out of dirty clothes, bathing issues, being accused of being a thief, having to make make several different items for her to eat, but I got to be honest, I'm getting tired. Especially when I get called at work and having to go home because her daycare provider can't find her teeth and she is having a fit.
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Thanks, Never thought of this. She is constantly hiding things. I've been taking care of her for almost 7 years in my home and the last 2 years she has gone down hill. Putting her in a care facility is not an option for 2-reasons. 1-I promised my father on his death bed I wouldn't (He died 2 hours after I promised) and 2-It is expensive and they have a bad rep.
Since her favorite food is fruit loops with marshmallows (this is the only cereal she will eat and sometimes the only thing she will eat.), she will need her dentures.
Thanks again for the suggestions. She has a Dr. Appt and I believe it is now time for her to be put on medication for dementia.
Is your mom able to eat without her teeth? I know of quite a few seniors who do pretty well eating without them. I'm not sure how well it would work to keep them in safe keeping until she needs them for a meal, since I've read that if you don't wear them most of the time, your gums change size. I hope you'll get some tips on this. I haven't had to deal with it before.