Theft in care: When trust is abused

“My wedding ring or the beautiful necklace, everything was gone at once,” says Gisela Urban. The 86-year-old remembers exactly the moment two years ago when she looked at an almost empty jewelry case in her bedroom. Damage of 4,000 euros because there is also money missing.

Suspicion falls on the caregiver who supports her at home. As it later turns out, relatives of other people in need of care also report that valuables are missing. The same nurse had always been there before. But ultimately those affected cannot prove anything.

A problem that does not only exist in outpatient care, as a look at crime statistics shows. While there were 834 thefts in retirement and nursing homes five years ago, the number climbed to 1,254 in Bavaria last year. That's an increase of around half. According to the State Criminal Police Office, the perpetrators are not only nursing staff, but also other residents or visitors to the home.

Across Germany, the number of cases is also rising from around 8,900 in 2024 to 9,400 last year. The Federal Criminal Police Office has only been breaking down the statistics according to the “location of the crime” for two years.

It is difficult for a nursing facility to keep an eye on everything; the tasks are demanding. Residents often leave their rooms because, for example, they have to undergo medical examinations.

There was a similar situation in Gisela Urban's apartment, as the person affected describes. The nurse was supposed to treat her sore legs with bandages from the next room. But according to the senior citizen, she didn't come back for a long time. Urban got up and discovered the nurse in another room, rummaging through her things. "I didn't dare report it to the nursing service or the police because I thought maybe no one would come and see me anymore," says Urban.

Nurse Cordula Metzger, who occasionally visits the 86-year-old, criticizes the fact that older people are often less believed. “Some people think that the grandma already has dementia or has simply misplaced things. I think that there is a relatively high number of unreported cases,” says Metzger.

Helga Buysan sees it similarly. She runs an outpatient care service and also employed an employee who apparently stole. She had fired her, but the nurse found a new job. “As an employer, we cannot write down incidents more specifically in the employment reference unless they have been proven beyond a doubt. In addition, nursing staff is scarce and almost everyone is taken on,” says Buysan.

The reputation of her nursing service suffered as a result of the incident. She would like to see advocates prevail in outpatient care like in hospitals or homes - i.e. neutral volunteers who you can turn to at any time if you have problems, so that such acts are exposed more quickly.

The police advise not to leave valuables lying around in the open. They should be kept with trusted relatives or locked in a safe to avoid the opportunity for theft to arise.

“Larger amounts of cash should only be counted among relatives,” says Alexander Heubuch from the Swabia South/West Police Headquarters. He also generally recommends creating an inventory list and documenting all valuables. This helps the police with the search after a theft and makes it easier to process claims with the insurance company.

Gisela Urban also wants to photograph her remaining valuables with the support of Cordula Metzger. The loss of the jewelry still hurts her because it brought with it many personal memories.

You shouldn't lump all nursing staff together; they are a minority, emphasizes Metzger. "But I want people in need of help to stop being exploited and to report abuses without fear."