My aunt, who was in a nursing home, died last month. This ended 13 years of frequent visits to various nursing homes to visit different family members.

When my sister looked for a figurine of a dog to put in the casket, it was missing. This points up a persistent but unmentioned problem that often happens to nursing home patients. Objects disappear. Over the years a sentimental watch, a new Christmas outfit, an antique quilt, a jacket from Thailand, an OSU throw and even a wheelchair have disappeared. These objects except the watch had identification on them. Other people have lost money, jewelry, etc.

With the volume of people coming and going in a nursing home, I do not feel qualified to address the nursing home’s side of this problem but there are things that we can do. 1. Mark everything with the patient’s name clearly. (Never assume that someone else will, even if they tell you they will.) 2. Never give the resident a lot of money. (Ten dollars in ones looks like a lot to them). 3. Take photos of everything that you bring and of the placement of these objects in the resident’s room. 4. Never ever bring anything that you value. (I learned the hard way.) 5. Buy them a cheap watch. 6. Report anything missing. If you have photos of the object at least you have proof even if you never get it back.

Diana Wackerman

West Liberty