As seniors grow older and many begin to lose their memory, some become paranoid. This near-constant suspicion can lead to unnecessary calls to 911, asking friends or family to keep their valuables and even mistrust in banks. Seniors may opt to hide their favorite personal belongings as they may be convinced that someone will steal them. Before you transition an older friend or relative to assisted living, make sure you check these hiding places to ensure you're not leaving anything behind – the senior may not remember doing the hiding in the first place.
Plants
Does the older person have potted plants in his or her home? Believe it or not, this is a common hiding place for items of importance. Some may stash rolled up cash in pill bottles and hide it just under the soil. Or, the entire plant may be in a much too-large pot allowing for storage space under a smaller pot that is holding the plant.
In clothes and shoes
Another common place to stash valuables is in shoes. As you help a loved one make the move to an assisted living community, you'll likely help him or her downsize belongings. This means donating and giving away items like clothes and shoes. Be sure to check every pocket and inside of the shoes to ensure the senior didn't place anything important in them and then forget. You never know if you'll find the family jewels hidden in some dirty tennis shoes.
On the bookshelf
Many mystery movies feature a hidden stash of jewels or important documents tucked away in a secret bookshelf hiding spot. This may mean a hollowed out book or even a certain section of books that are actually glued together and hide a box attached at the back. Make sure to flip through every book before giving it away. Some seniors also stash a bill or two between the pages for safe keeping, so be thorough!
Anywhere there's room
Reader's Digest notedthat many household appliances have small cavities that offer perfect places to hide things. A vacuum, for instance, offers plenty of room to hide important papers, money or even photographs. Take a look around your loved one's home to see what items may have room inside for hidden objects. You may be amazed at what clever places you find.
In the vents
Another movie trick often used in gangster and crime films is to stash contraband in the air vents. Look for air return vents near the floor or top of the wall. Use a screw driver to remove the screws and check inside the wall. Even if your senior friend or family member is no longer physically able to stand on a chair to reach a high spot, that doesn't mean he or she didn't hide something in the air vent long ago when they were more mobile.
It's also important to simply ask the senior if he or she has hidden anything.Depending on dementia and how far in the past they may have hidden something, the person may be helpful in ensuring you're not leaving anything behind.
FAQs
The Freezer. Cold, hard cash isn't just a cliché. It's a way of life for many seniors. We've found everything from credit cards to gold coins frozen inside blocks of ice and plastic zipper bags filled with cash at the bottom of ice trays.
Where do seniors hide their money? ›
The Freezer. Cold, hard cash isn't just a cliché. It's a way of life for many seniors. We've found everything from credit cards to gold coins frozen inside blocks of ice and plastic zipper bags filled with cash at the bottom of ice trays.
Where did people hide their money during the depression? ›
During the Great Depression, hiding money under one's mattress became common. Many believed that their money was safest where they spent the most time and that the prospect of having to reach under a sleeping person would dissuade any thief.
Where do people hide their valuables? ›
The best places to hide valuables at home
- Safes. Safes are designed to be hard to crack by burglars, and in most cases, heavy to lift. ...
- The loft. Lofts are hard-to-reach places. ...
- Food containers. ...
- False bottom drawers. ...
- Back of drawers. ...
- Old paint pots. ...
- Plumbing pipes. ...
- Invest in a home security system.
They may also leave items in unusual places – for example, leaving the remote control in the bathroom, or tea bags in the fridge. If the person thinks an item should be somewhere and it's not, this may lead them to think that someone is hiding or stealing things from them.
Where do people with dementia hide keys? ›
Relationship Between Forgetfulness, Hiding & Hoarding
In addition to not remembering names, directions or where they are, they may put items in illogical places – like placing keys in the fridge or food in the laundry basket – and forget where they left these objects.
Where not to hide money? ›
In Other Household Items
"Don't hide your emergency cash stash ... in a cookie jar, a jewelry box or a shoebox," Latham said. "These are the first places burglars will look.
Where do burglars not look? ›
Use the back of a drawer.
Normally, thieves will look inside drawers, but they won't think to look on the underside or on the back of the furniture piece. Take an envelope that you want to hide all your important papers in and glue it to the back of a drawer in your house. This is a great hiding spot!
Where is the safest place to keep cash at home? ›
Where to safely keep cash at home. Just like any other piece of paper, cash can get lost, wet or burned. Consider buying a fireproof and waterproof safe for your home. It's also useful for storing other valuables in your home such as jewelry and important personal documents.
How to find hidden money in a house? ›
Don't just look in obvious places, check under furniture, old purses, coats, under cushions and even your washer machine. Take the change to your local bank if they have a coin machine since it will be free for you to use or to a Coinstar machine (a fee will be deducted for this service).
For security purposes, money should be kept in a bolted-down safe along with any other valuables in the home, Castle Rock Investment Company's McCarty said. “Make sure the safe is fire and waterproof to avoid any damage. Make sure you deposit and replace the money on occasion so that the bills don't get too old.”
Why do old people hide money in their house? ›
In some cases, families of aging parents who have bank accounts may be surprised to find out that the older adult has hidden a significant amount of cash and/or valuables at home because: The older adult has difficulty accessing cash at the bank physically, so their homes now become their “personal banks”.
What is the best hiding spot? ›
Consider hiding up high.
Often, the best spots are up high. Looking up and down is the least natural eye movement for the person searching for you, and if you are directly above them it may be a very long time before they see you.
Where do thieves look first? ›
The first place most burglars look is the master bedroom [2]. Many burglars then move on to a study, library, or office where electronics are located. Bathrooms are also popular, where the thief goes through your medicine cabinet. Various cabinets and drawers throughout the house.
Where should elderly put their money? ›
For a lower-risk option, consider a fixed-income mutual fund that invests in government or corporate bonds that may generate a steady annual return. Learn more about mutual fund fees and expenses. (Be aware, though, even though it's low, bond funds—like stock funds—carry risk and can lose money).
Where do old people store money? ›
Some may stash rolled up cash in pill bottles and hide it just under the soil. Or, the entire plant may be in a much too-large pot allowing for storage space under a smaller pot that is holding the plant. Another common place to stash valuables is in shoes.
How can I legally hide my wealth? ›
One common method used to conceal assets is establishing offshore accounts in countries with strict banking secrecy laws. By transferring funds or properties to these accounts, individuals can keep their wealth hidden from their spouses and legal authorities.
