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I don’t believe this is a laundry mix-up, nor do I believe it’s another resident who has taken the clothes. Every item was securely attached and labelled.

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I would schedule a face to face meeting with the Manager.

I would try to stay on topic & solution focused but put the *ball* in the Manager's court so to speak. Eg Mom is missing many clothes. I realise they can be laundry mistakes & residents that wander. But I also know staff can steal.

I will be buying my Mother new clothes, labelling them & I EXPECT these to REMAIN in her possession. I will be CLOSELY watching to check if every item is accounted for.

Then ask the Manager directly: What are YOU going to do to ensure my Mother's clothes remain in her possession?
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Reply to Beatty
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JuliaH May 21, 2025
I agree that the wanderers are pretty much to blame but they can't help themselves. I'd be pretty leary about bringing the staff into this even though it could be true. You don't need vengeful help looking after your loved ones.
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See if there is a social worker available to speak with. This Happened with My Brother , Multiple items stolen even after Being labeled .
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Reply to KNance72
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Every article of clothing has to have her name in each item either ironed in with a label or written with indelible marker. Then, take pictures of all the clothes plus the dates they were resupplied. Then do as has been suggested by others: make the admins and staff as accountable as possible. For what it's worth, this is a pretty common problem in a facility. Sometimes I think the staff traded out the clothes of deceased residents for ones that were easier for my MIL to get on to her very large but immobile body.
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Reply to Geaton777
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Grandma1954 May 16, 2025
I love the idea of taking photos of the clothing.
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My suggestion...after you talk with administration about the missing clothing.
NEVER buy new clothes.
Shop resale stores.
A few reasons for this.
Residents "shop" in others rooms.
The laundry at most facilities is pretty aggressive and can be pretty hard on clothing.
Even with items marked with the residents name, most markings eventually come off or fade. (Unless you want to make the name really noticeable so no one wants the clothing)

Check the facilities "lost and found" area. When my Husband was in rehab one of his blankets went missing, they had a ROOM full of "missing or lost" items.

I would also keep the clothing to a minimum at the facility. A few changes of clothing then every few weeks bring in another few outfits and exchange for what is there (or what is left🤣)
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BurntCaregiver May 23, 2025
@Grandma

It's up to the facility to make sure no one is "shopping" in someone else's room. It's their job to supervise the residents at all times.

Also, if you've got a person in LTC do their laundry yourself whenever possible.
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My Moms facility put her name on ever piece of clouthing and socks. In the beginning I washed Moms clothes but later I found the laundry was very good there. I did take pictures of everything I took in even her glasses. The one item that disappeared all the time was a nightshirt. I would tell the laundress and it would be back in Moms closet. Mom shared a room and many a time I found her clothes in the other persons closet.

There really shouldn't be any reason all her clothing is missing.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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Time for a meeting with Administration about lost items and the frequency, and about what they intend to do for replacement of said things.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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My friend labeled her husband's every clothing item with big neat capital letters right across the front with a Sharpie. Everyone in and out of his memory care unit knows his name right away, and he can't talk, so that was good. It is clear that he is BILL. Since he never leaves there and will reside there for the duration of his life, it doesn't matter if it looks odd.

She became tired of replacing his clothing, and now it all comes back from the in-house laundry in the correct basket.
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Reply to Fawnby
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I totally agree with the person who says talk to Administration. Even better, talk to the Head Nurse.

Could it be that your Mom doesn't believe her clothes are her clothes, therefore is rejecting being clothed in those clothes?

I'm assuming that she did not have expensive or clothes that were difficult to wash. In other words, all her clothes should be able to be thrown in the washer and run through a dryer. My Mom wore T-shirts and long pants all the time. If we needed her to "dress up" prior to an event, we'd bring in the clothes just prior to the event, help her change into them, then help her change out of them after the event. No jewelry or accessories while she was at the facility.

We didn't lose "clothes" at her facility. We lost a cup, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste tubes....all which were easily replaceable.

....so whose clothes is she wearing if all of her clothes have been stolen?
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Reply to ChoppedLiver
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Take pictures of all replacement clothing in addition to labelling everything. Make sure to also keep price tags. When things go missing, write to administration with photo and copy of price tag. Ask them to either replace the item or pay you so you an purchase another one.
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Reply to Taarna
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At my late husband's nursing home, lost or missing clothing was a serious problem until they installed locks on the closets and dressers. One key went to the people distributing laundry and the other to the spouse/child/sibling responsible for paying the resident's expenses. Yes, I labeled all his clothes (even shoes and socks). Some people also took their loved one's clothing home to wash/dry it and bring it back. I took my husband to church and out to lunch sometimes, to his own doctor/dentist/optometrist, and sometimes to a sports bar to watch football and basketball games. Sometimes weather required him to wear a coat. I *never* left his coats there. I brought the appropriate coat with me and took it home. He had some nice coats (Lands End and LL Bean) that I didn't want to replace if they were missing.
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JoAnn29 May 29, 2025
I took Moms coats home too. Figured I would be the one taking her out so would bring it with me.
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It has been said that the aides will take another residents clothes if their charge has no clothes. I have found my Moms clothes in her roomates closet. When she was in rehab, she had to share a closet and the laundry aide would just throw the clothes in not keeping them separated.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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This is a chronic problem..not just nursing homes but in MC also..moms unit residents “shop” each others rooms and residents at moms place do little fashion shows sharing each others clothes {I witnessed this}. We have half the unit residents that are mobile. I decided to shop consignment and Goodwill for mom’s clothes. Family buys cheap beads for jewelry. Also “agency” staff mix up clothing delivery to resident rooms. I no longer allow myself to get concerned about “lost” items. Mom’s items are all marked…some stuff comes back weeks later! As a retired NH clinical staff member this has always been an issue. I choose to look at what staff does right! Mom is relaxed, peaceful and laughs often. She shows affection for many staff members. I am happier!
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Reply to Sadinroanokeva
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Kerrikez,

Have you been able to rectify this problem?
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Reply to JoAnn29
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This used to be a problem at my late husband's long-term care center. It only changed when the long-term care center bought new dressers that locked. They also added locks to the closets. Staff had one key for each and the resident's spouse, adult child, or sibling had the other. I know that some residents' family members washed and dried their loved one's clothes themselves even after that. They only brought in enough clothes to the facility for about three days. At least that meant not too many items could be stolen or misplaced. One thing I *always* did was keep my late husband's coats at home. They were nice ones (LLBean and Lands End). I only brought him a coat if I were taking him to the dentist, optometrist, church, or an occasional lunch out. I took them home after I'd returned him to the long-term care center and only brought them back the next time he needed them.
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Reply to swmckeown76
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OLD POST
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Reply to Bulldog54321
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I agree this is a chronic problem probably with no real solution. Some staff steal clothes, someone doing the laundry is often overwhelmed and doesn't put it back in the right room or even put it back at all. Some facilities have a room piled high with clean and/or dirty clothes waiting to be handled--staff turnover causes back up in non-critical areas. My grandmother was in a nursing home her last year but she was still sharp as a tack. I noticed one day she was wearing something I didn't recognize and asked her about it--she told me none of the clothes in the closet were hers. I looked and she was right--every piece nicely labeled with someone else's name. The next time I came I brought 4 brand new dusters nicely labeled. She laughed and told me to take them home with me and she would call and let me know if I should bring one for her to wear if she was expecting a friend to drop by or she wanted to go out. I am a social worker and spent my career dealing with nursing homes. Pick your battles. If you accuse staff, they won't say anything to you, but maybe the next time your grandmother wants a drink, they won't hear her!
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Reply to VLS799
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This is something a Forum of strangers is unlikely to help you with. After you have clearly marked all clothing you have done what you can.
This is a problem for you to take to the administration of the facility. We can but wish you best of luck.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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This post is from May. The OP only asked this one question and has not responded or returned. I am reporting to have it closed for responses.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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Placing a camera in room is very enlightening! You will see if other residents wander into her room, see how the staff handles returning the clean laundry and also gain insight into your loved ones behaviors - mine would through things away she didn't like (the lacey edges on PJs itched), or if she got agitated with someone. It's also been very helpful in determining the progression of her disease, as other posts address, their behaviors differ depending on who they're interacting with.
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BurntCaregiver Oct 19, 2025
@cdm001

A camera in a resdient's room in a facility is only as good as who knows about it.

If staff, other residents, and the person whose room it is doesn't know it's there, that's when you'll get some truth and enlightenment about the goings on in the facility. LTC facilities and memory care places will often hire anyone and many times their hires have zero work ethic. So when they know there's a camera, their good work and goodwill towards a resident only goes as far as the scope of that camera.
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This post is from last May. It's old and should be taken down.
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Reply to BurntCaregiver
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You see this is why my mom's clothes don't go missing as much. Few people want 1990s polyester pants with her name written in big black letters for all to see. Mom constantly says her stuff is missing, but her closet and drawers are packed full. I know some stuff has gone missing, but the older the clothes and the more clearly marked the less likely anyone will swipe them. I keep two boxes of mom's clothes to swap out as seasons change. She has yet to run out of shirts, pants or sweaters. Yes, you can sew a tag in them with the name on it, but if you write it in black permanent marker you get better results.
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