My mother is misplacing things more & more. Recently she has been asking for items from us that either we do not have or that she gave to us, but forgets that she gave it to us. In the past, I have returned an item to her, only for it to not be with her anymore (gave it someone else) or she cannot find it.
I told her that I planned to take them for cleaning and repair. Afterwards any time she asked I would tell her they were still in repair and then she stopped asking.
I did keep some inexpensive necklaces in her room but that was all
Eventually “misplacing” changed to “hiding” as she was determined to outsmart the imaginary thieves that robbed her home every day. I noticed that she started to become very angry when I found her stolen items, as if she wanted to be correct that they were gone more than she wanted them back. It was a subtle but odd transition. At that stage I stopped searching her house and didn’t return anything from the box, but simply said “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear it’s gone.”
My mother had advanced dementia & lived in Memory Care Assisted Living. She used to insist 'all the ladies have BIG BIG BIG diamonds except me, so I want mine back.' She had a 2.5 carat solitaire ring I kept at my house for security/safety reasons. There was NO WAY on earth I was going to give her that ring to wear b/c I KNEW it would go missing and then she'd have a meltdown, so I brought her some other inexpensive 'diamond' jewelry like bracelets and rings for her to wear to 'compete' with the other ladies who wore jewelry.
If you are new to caregiving an elder with dementia, I suggest you read this 33 page booklet (a free download) which has THE best information ever about managing dementia and what to expect with an elder who's been diagnosed with it.
Understanding the Dementia Experience, by Jennifer Ghent-Fuller
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/210580
Jennifer is a nurse who worked for many years as an educator and counsellor for people with dementia and their families, as well as others in caring roles. She addresses the emotional and grief issues in the contexts in which they arise for families living with dementia. The reviews for her books are phenomenal b/c they are written in plain English & very easy to read/understand. Her writings have been VERY helpful for me.
The full copy of her book is available here:
https://www.amazon.com/Thoughtful-Dementia-Care-Understanding-Experience/dp/B09WN439CC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2E7WWE9X5UFXR&keywords=jennifer+ghent+fuller+books&qid=1657468364&sprefix=jennifer+ghent%2Caps%2C631&sr=8-2
Best of luck to you.