Practical ideas for dealing with "stolen" toothpaste

MP8

My mother moved to AL in late June and has adjusted very well. However, in the last two weeks, she has suddenly become convinced that one of the staff is stealing . . . her toothpaste. I purchased two large tubes just over two weeks ago as I noticed she was getting low. Then a few days ago, she said she needed more toothpaste as both tubes had been stolen.

I purchased one, and she told me she was going to carry it around with her in the compartment of her rollator.

Today, she told me the latest tube had also been "stolen."

I know she is probably hiding them somewhere or, possibly, throwing them away.

What I don't know is how to keep her in toothpaste without buying more every few days. I read someone had bought travel-sized toothpaste and had the LO w/ dementia hand it back every day after use. That won't work because I don't live there, although I do see her often.

Any other ideas? I wouldn't worry if it were something she didn't need every day for hygiene.

Emily 123

Hi--you can let the director know, and they can add it to her care plan. Am assuming they're doing her meds. If she's on an AM/PM schedule it would be simple for them to do at pill time. Either way, I bet her care plan has something in it about hygiene, so this would fall under that.

BassetHoundAnn

You can mount one of these dispensers beside the sink, stick the toothpaste tube in it, and your mom, or whoever is stealing the toothpaste, will not be able to remove it. They work great.

However your mom will have to learn how to use the dispenser, which might not be possible.

At my mom's memory care toothbrushing is part of the nightly schedule, and they lock toothpaste up because residents will eat it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JLC7LRF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

housefinch

Maybe she’s showing she needs to be in memory care, instead of assisted living?

MP8

Thank you for the ideas! I am going to start with ordering the toothpaste dispenser as the easiest to manage. I think she will be able to learn to use it - it seems pretty simple, and I can add a note on where the toothbrush goes.

If that doesn't work, I'll talk to the AL team about adding it to her care plan. They do manage medication.

MC is definitely in her future, but I don't think she's there yet. She's still able to manage well in the AL environment, but you're right, this could be the start of a series of issues that leads to moving to MC. We'll see.

What a journey this is. Just when everything seems to be going smoothly, something new will pop up. Appreciate your help!

harshedbuzz

@MP8

I hope the dispenser fixes this for her. Do you think she's in a place cognitively that she'll be able to recall what the dispenser is for and how to operate it?

By the time dad started to have delusions about people taking his stuff, his social abilities had tanked. In your shoes, I would observe, without her seeing you, her during activities and meals to make sure she is being included by the other residents. My cousin placed her mom in AL from home not realizing how much scaffolding she supplied. The ladies quickly realized she'd had a cognitive shift based on her conversation skills and inability to participate in activities appropriately and froze her out. They wouldn't even let her sit with them at meals.

HB

MP8

@harshedbuzz

Thanks so much for this insight! It's really helpful. I will look for signs that she is not keeping up with her social relationships.

🤞 on the toothpaste dispenser. I think she will be able to remember what it's for and how to use it. I'll provide a label on the dispenser that shows where to put the toothbrush; she's still able to read and process information as long as it isn't too complicated. Whether she will want to use a new gizmo is another issue, but I will deal with that if it happens.