Dodgy Tradespersons in Seniors homes

I've had many honest cleaners, but about three years ago one woman systematically stole jewellery from me...The first time I noticed a ring had gone I mentioned to her my little grandson might have moved it...she then "found it" in his toys...But other things went without my noticing until I realised it was first a necklace and then the matching blue earrings. I gave her notice and told her to clean the kitchen on the last day, thinking that was safer than upstairs. Not a bit of it: she took a large silver fork I'd had for 30 years and used as a whisk. I could never prove it was her but when she got on the same bus as me one day last year it was all I could do not to shout "This woman is a thief!"

I had a cleaner who stole jewellery from me. I was rolled up in a tea towel in the back of a drawer,(it was my mothers)and I didn't notice until shed helped herself to almost all of it.My husband went to see her but she denied it.
I didn't report it but 2 years later she was in the paper for doing the same to another elderly person.I do still feel guilty about not reporting it but we had no proof.

My Mum's engagement & eternity rings were stolen by plumbers she had in. Police could do nothing, as there was no proof; it would have been her word against theirs. Dad bought her new ones, but she was so upset due to the sentimental value of the original ones. I'm sorry you're in a similar situation. The feelings of loss will dissipate after a while though they may never go away completely. I hope the items weren't too sentimentally significant for you.

We have used the same carpet fitter for many years and never had any problems, but he had been the only person in the house while we popped out to do some shopping and some months later I noticed that about £400 worth of US dollars and some Danish Krone which were left over from visits to our daughters and which we were saving for our next visits, were missing from my knicker drawer. Of, course, we can’t prove anything, but he was the only person who had been in the house when we weren’t there. We won’t be using him again. It feels very upsetting when you trust someone and this happens.

eilyann I was told that by a friend who works in insurance. I think they said it's because they are 'invited' in.

My mother in law thought her removal men had stolen 3 odd items - a silver salt pot, a horn carving knife and another unrelated item. She had told me about it a few times expressing amazement as they were a "family business".
They were found last week in a rather high cupboard that she doesn't use. They must have been unpacked there by the company.

My neighbour told me her daughter in law was always in her house stealing things and I began to worry when the younger woman visited with the children - even police were called. It was only when she told me daughter in law was stealing her rubbish that the penny dropped

After all those stories of letting people into the house and having things stolen, I would like to say that in 50 years of having people in the house, including house viewers, I have never had anything stolen.

I know this can change but most workmen cannot afford the loss of reputation that thieving will bring and are both honest and reliable.

Ha, seventhfloorrefular, my FiL would have had us believe that his dastardly thieving neighbours had stolen the manky old pedestal mat from his downstairs loo! (Sister in law had taken it away to burn it!)
But that's dementia for you.