Nervous about staff coming and going at will, residents may hide things and then forget where. Memory problems are common, too. Even folks with good memories may take a while to familiarize themselves with new environments and where things are stored. Following up When residents report anything missing, Singer assumes they're telling the truth. You owe it to them.
Some adult children deduct the cost of permanently lost items from the monthly rent.
But residents need to be proactive. Most important, valuables don't belong in retirement homes. Even so, it wouldn't hurt to have a small safe or locked box in which to store jewelry or other items easily lost. An advocate will visit, write a report and discuss it with management. Residents also can call the police department's community policing or crime-prevention unit.