Mom (89 with dementia) claims someone comes into house and leaves their clothes (as the ones in the closet are not hers). What to say?

So THAT'S where all the clothes "stolen" from my mother's closet have gone. DKENN2010, I'm so glad we solved both mysteries today!

:-D

I still have all my clothes, but I think my body was stolen and replaced with one that is old, fat and wrinkly. ;-)

"well, let's have a look at them."
"hmm ... they seem to be all your size. Do you suppose someone is returning things they borrowed a while ago? Or maybe leaving you a gift?"
"however this got here it really is a nice outfit, and just your color. Why don't you just wear it? You even have some jewelry that would like with it."
"If you don't want to wear them and you don't think they are yours, let's fold them up and put them in a box, in case someone realizes their mistake and asks for them."

Is your mother disturbed or anxious that these "strange" clothes are showing up? If not, just take it in stride.

The things I buy now look 20 years old after one wash. I wish we would get back to making things in the USA.

Some of the things about clothes can be funny. My mother says that all the clothes in the closets are not hers. They were my father's. Trouble is that I know my father never wore women's clothes. At least I don't think he did. I don't argue with her, since it doesn't really matter.

Happens a lot here too. "These aren't my clothes" or she'll have me search for an outfit or article of clothing that she may have had 20 years ago or who knows, maybe she dreamt about it. Sometimes she asks if the clothes in her closet are mine. Gotta roll with it baby like Steve Winwood sings!

OMG, Pam, same thing happened to me.... what in the world !!! It was like it happened overnight. Oh well, at least all my shoes still fit :P

ff, my father and mother had separate closets. I donated all of his clothes after he died. My mother has closets and racks of clothes, so she moved some of her things into his closet. Now I think in her mind his clothes are scattered in the different places with hers. I don't want to remind her I donated his clothes. It might be painful to remember.

I can still wear my clothes from 20 years ago. You know what you call that? Poor.

I like the clothing I have from 20 years ago... it tends to hold up so much better than the stuff I am buying today that tends to shrink, pucker, with buttons falling off :P