Too often hoarders are seen as eccentrics, who are just doing their own thing. If it makes them happy and they aren’t harming anyone, what is the big deal?
Well, it is a big deal and if you think hoarding makes someone happy you need to reevaluate the situation. I do not want to debate whether all hoarders have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), an addiction, or some other diagnoses, but I will say that they need professional treatment and they need it now. I have never met a hoarder who was happy, or who thought there was nothing wrong with what they were doing. They just can’t stop and will defend what they have accumulated and their need to continue to do it.
As with many things involving eldercare, helping a hoarder clean out their mess, and getting them to stop is very much easier said than done. But do it you must. A hoarder is unsafe in their environment. Falls, fire, sanitation, and disease are all accidents waiting to happen. Add that to underlying mental stress, depression, and isolation that are almost always present in hoarders, leaves the only reasons for not taking action as:
Not knowing what to do or where to begin Lack of authority to take action Or, of course, that old standby, procrastinationIf you don’t know what to do, start with these links:
International OCD Foundation: www.InternationalOCDFoundation
Anxiety Care of the U.K.: www.AnxietyCareoftheU.K .
If you do not have the authority, start by:
Having a family meeting so you can present a unified approach Getting the hoarder to a qualified psychiatrist Seeking help from Adult Protective Services for your stateIf it is procrastination
Get over it! Begin today. This is too important and cannot wait.
John Boden, prior to starting ElderIssues, LLC in 2001, was the founder of Personal Care Managers, Inc. (PCM), a professional geriatric care management company begun in 1988. That company helped elders and their fami...
