Hoarding and Hiding Food (Sometimes Spoiled)

I find bread in pockets, yoghurts under the bed, and rotten fruit on my mum's bedside table. Why does she do this and how can I stop these unpleasant discoveries?

Finding hidden spoiled food is unpleasant and worrying — but the behaviour has an internal logic, and is better managed with routine than with confrontation.

Why it happens

Hoarding food is a very strong security instinct — especially in those who have experienced scarcity. With short-term memory loss, she might save "for later" and forget; with a disrupted routine, she might experience genuine hunger between meals and store food as a precaution; and her room is the territory she still controls.

Practical strategies

• Do not confront her with the evidence ("look what I found rotting!") — this generates shame and more creative hiding places.
• Address the need: provide permitted, non-perishable snacks in a place that is "hers" (biscuits in a tin on her bedside table). If there is a legitimate place to store things, the clandestine ones will decrease.
• Check if meals are sufficient: real hunger between meals can be resolved with scheduled snacks.
• Perform discreet cleaning rounds (when she is not in the room), knowing the usual hiding places: pockets, handbags, clothing drawers, under the pillow.
• Serve smaller portions at the table — leftovers on the plate are candidates for pockets.
• If she notices something confiscated is missing, have a substitute: "here's a new one, that one wasn't good anymore".

When extra attention is needed

Eating spoiled food can cause food poisoning — if vomiting/diarrhoea occurs, hydrate and contact a doctor. And if the hoarding extends to rubbish or large-scale objects, discuss this at her next appointment.

Sources: Alzheimer's Association; Alzheimer's Society (UK).