Dodgy Tradespersons in Seniors homes

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 went to look at a flat a few years ago, accompanied by the estate agent, and he said 'I'll leave you to look around, I'll be outside - I've got some phone calls to make.' I could have stolen anything I wanted - including the £40 cash that the vendor had for some reason left on the kitchen table.

Thank you ForAllweknow. for that information

Jayne53 So sorry about your situation. Ask the company to make enquiries to workers if they saw the items anywhere. At least you are raising the issue that things seem to be missing. You never know others may well gave complained to the company about similar happenings. On another point, it's not a robbery unless you were threatened/sustained violence, what's happened is classed as theft, just in case you are caught out accusing someone of robbery.

CarlyD7 That is appalling. The carpet fitters are obviously the most likely thieves. Surely the police would investigate them, fingerprints etc?

After being burgled in 2000, when all of my jewellery (yes engagement, eternity and all sentimental stuff)we are very caref ul whenever we go out even for a short time.. When we sold our last house the Estate agent warned us that if we allowed viewers to view alone and subsequently found things missing, the insurance company might not pay up!

I'd just point out for anyone unaware, that in the case of any degree of dementia, accusations of stealing are very common. Usually the person has hidden whatever it is, often very successfully, and of course has forgotten having done so.

An aunt of mine complained that a valuable ring had been stolen. If my sister and BiL had not happened to visit that day, I dare say it would have been gone for ever - she'd wrapped it in something very unsavoury and hidden it away - in a waste bin.

How awful Driverann.a cruel betrayal.

Our Son in law has stolen things from our house and shed.
However to save a big bust up we have said nothing but lock things away now. We feel so betrayed by him.

I had a ring disappear after potential buyer viewed my house.

This reminds me of when my elderly parents had new carpet fitted. A few days later, they were burgled and their alarm didn't go off. On further inspection, they found that the wires for the alarm, which went under the floorboards of the room where the carpet was fitted, had been cut! All Mum's jewellery, apart from what she was wearing out that day, was taken - including things that had been left to her by her own mother. She was heartbroken.

You must inform the company you bought the kitchen from and inform them that you have told the police. At the very least, they will think twice about using those fitters again?

Glammanana I do like your idea.

BBExchange.police have phoned and want to interview me. If enough people report suspects police can form a case.I hate complacency ie not doing anything about it.if one does nothing then nothing gets done IMO

A couple stayed the night with me when they were restoring stonework at our church. In the morning he went to his car several times and I later noticed some of my new fluffy bath towels had gone.

My father had a cleaner who used to take things, then it moved on to money. When he put his pension away in the desk whilst she was cleaning, and went back an hour and a half later to find it was gone, he challenged her, she denied it, but he showed her the door. Police not interested, his word against hers. But we later found she had also taken virtually all my mother's jewellery, worth thousands. Insurance paid up, but the loss was something you don't get over.

On the other hand we now have cat sitters living in the house when we go away, and so far have not lost a thing, and come back to a clean house and home made soup in the fridge!

Always a risk that unscrupulous workforce will help themselves. When we had our house refurbished we locked everything in the safe, it meant I also knew where to find things when the work was finished.
We are selling our second home at present but have insisted that estate agent and potential buyers are not to view alone, a friend is there for each viewing.