Any suggestions on how to prevent movement of loose items or to find them when they have been moved to a new location?
I joke about it but it is NOT funny. My wife can move loose things of any kind to a new and unknown location. How do you find those items, other then preventing them from being moved? Finding things can drive one crazy,
I know this isn't funny, it's probably annoying as heck.
My hubby is 6'5" I am 5'2". I can't reach nearly as high as he can (obviously) and so his 'storage' is all up high. He can't bend down so all mine is 'low'. In between is the stuff like car keys, wallets, whatever. Hubby is so spacey--(no dementia, just thinking of other things!) My kids are getting him a "TILE" which evidently attaches to all the things we lose and we can track them with our phones (if we can find them). They say they are sanity savers.
For your situation, I think the replacing "stuff" your wife wants to sort through with stuff you don't need/care about and keeping the important stuff up higher is a good plan.
You could also utilize ONE cupboard for all this stuff and put a really good childproofing device on the cabinet. I find that those worked really well and the kids gave up trying break into the kitchen cupboards.
PaulBern, welcome to the complex journey of living with a love one who has Alzheimer's/Dementia.
Best thing to do it to take those items that are really important, such as car keys, and find a place where your wife cannot reach or easily open. Place none important items out and let her keep busy with moving them about. Apparently your wife finds comfort with doing this.
If you are doing the cooking, place those regularly used items on the 2nd shelf of the cabinets or one that she cannot reach. But keep odd items on the first shelf to keep her busy. I think you are getting my drift here.
Oh, when placing items, such as car keys, into a new location.... tell yourself out-loud "I am putting the car keys on the cup-hook in the coat closet", hopefully that will you help you remember the new location :)
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My hubby is 6'5" I am 5'2". I can't reach nearly as high as he can (obviously) and so his 'storage' is all up high. He can't bend down so all mine is 'low'. In between is the stuff like car keys, wallets, whatever. Hubby is so spacey--(no dementia, just thinking of other things!) My kids are getting him a "TILE" which evidently attaches to all the things we lose and we can track them with our phones (if we can find them). They say they are sanity savers.
For your situation, I think the replacing "stuff" your wife wants to sort through with stuff you don't need/care about and keeping the important stuff up higher is a good plan.
You could also utilize ONE cupboard for all this stuff and put a really good childproofing device on the cabinet. I find that those worked really well and the kids gave up trying break into the kitchen cupboards.
Here is one option, called "Tile": https://www.thetileapp.com/en-us/products/mate
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Best thing to do it to take those items that are really important, such as car keys, and find a place where your wife cannot reach or easily open. Place none important items out and let her keep busy with moving them about. Apparently your wife finds comfort with doing this.
If you are doing the cooking, place those regularly used items on the 2nd shelf of the cabinets or one that she cannot reach. But keep odd items on the first shelf to keep her busy. I think you are getting my drift here.
Oh, when placing items, such as car keys, into a new location.... tell yourself out-loud "I am putting the car keys on the cup-hook in the coat closet", hopefully that will you help you remember the new location :)