Hoarding in Older Adults
I was fortunate to attend a presentation on Hoarding by my friend Ellie Nixon last night sponsored by the Newport Harbor Bar Association. She & her co-presenter, Gregory Palmer, Esq. of the Law firm of Jones & Mayer offered a mulitdisciplinary perspective on the problem's mental, social, and legal components.
Elllie is an Eldercare Consultant with LivHome in Orange County, CA. LivHome specializes in providing services that allow seniors to remain in their homes. She sits on the Orange County Task Force on Hoarding. Gregory Palmer's firm serves as City Attorney for a number of Orange County cities. He presented the approaches taken by cities to deal with the effects of hoarding on both the individual and his/her neighbors. Together, they explained the evolution of approaches taken to deal with hoarding.
A hoarder is not simply a packrat. Hoarding is a disorder in which the hoarder accumulates "stuff" - either by collecting or failing to get rid of it - to the extent that it interferes with health, safety and quality of life. Others would consider the collected materials worthless, but the hoarder doesn't. The hoarder develops an emotional attachment to the collection of old papers, toilet paper rolls, pens, etc. Excessive trash builds up. Often utilities are turned off, and plumbing no longer works. Still, the hoarding behavior continues.
Some hoarders also accumulate pets such as cats, rabbits, rodents, and birds, in such numbers that both the hoarder and the animals suffer. An article in the June 6, 2007 Los Angeles Times reported on a woman in Wilmington who was found with more than 100 rats and over 30 other animals in her home. The woman was covered with bites and other wounds. She had become overwhelmed with the number of animals and the rate at which they multiplied. In this instance, an individual who came to her house to buy a rabbit alerted the authorities to the living conditions.
What I learned.
1. Identify the Source of the Problem
Ellie stressed that it is vitally important to identify & deal with the source of the problem. Hoarding behavior is a symptom rather than a cause. Root causes can be related to OCD, depression, anxiety, and dementia to name a few of the most prevalent causes. Just cleaning up the space won't usually be enough to fix the problem. As a matter of fact, the act of cleaning up the premises, can makes things worse by causing the hoarder extreme anxiety and upset. You can expect them to return to their old behaviors unless they receive help for the underlying problem.
Many hoarders are extremely isolated. Whether that is a cause or effect of the behaviour is uncertain. While most of us are uncomfortable poking our noses into other people's lives, a certain awareness of and sensitivity to "typical behaviors" may help to address the problem before it advances too far. If you suspect that someone you know has a problem, you can call your local protective services department to ask that they investigate. You can do this anonymously.
2. Collaborative Efforts Produce the Best Results.
Traditionally, hoarding was dealt with only through City Code Enforcement when property became a health or safety hazard. However, Code Enforcement is limited in scope. In some cities, the city can only issue citations for violations on the on the outside of the property. A better approach involves a coordinated plan involving reprentatives from Adult Protective Service, Animal Control, Senior Service Providers, Code Enforcement, the Fire Department, and Housing agencies. This is best option for lasting solutions. Buena Park, CA's Neighborhood Improvement Task Force is a particularly successful model of collaborative, community oriented approach to addressing the issue of hoarding and its effects on the hoarder and those affected by hoarding.
Links:
LivHome www.livhome.com 949.794.9470
Orange County Task Force on Hoarding www.ochealthinfo.com/behavioral/amhs/hoarding.htm
Orange County: Older Adult Services: 714.972.3700
Adult Protective Services 800.451.5155
Office on Aging 800.510.2020
Clutterer's Anonymous www.Clutterersanonymous.net
National Association of Professional Organizers www.napo.net
National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization www.nsgcd.org
Los Angeles County:
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Hoarding Fact Sheet: www.la4seniors.com/hoarding.htm
Riverside County/San Bernardino County - I am still looking for resources. You may want to contact providers in Orange or Los Angeles County for referrals.
Elllie is an Eldercare Consultant with LivHome in Orange County, CA. LivHome specializes in providing services that allow seniors to remain in their homes. She sits on the Orange County Task Force on Hoarding. Gregory Palmer's firm serves as City Attorney for a number of Orange County cities. He presented the approaches taken by cities to deal with the effects of hoarding on both the individual and his/her neighbors. Together, they explained the evolution of approaches taken to deal with hoarding.
A hoarder is not simply a packrat. Hoarding is a disorder in which the hoarder accumulates "stuff" - either by collecting or failing to get rid of it - to the extent that it interferes with health, safety and quality of life. Others would consider the collected materials worthless, but the hoarder doesn't. The hoarder develops an emotional attachment to the collection of old papers, toilet paper rolls, pens, etc. Excessive trash builds up. Often utilities are turned off, and plumbing no longer works. Still, the hoarding behavior continues.
Some hoarders also accumulate pets such as cats, rabbits, rodents, and birds, in such numbers that both the hoarder and the animals suffer. An article in the June 6, 2007 Los Angeles Times reported on a woman in Wilmington who was found with more than 100 rats and over 30 other animals in her home. The woman was covered with bites and other wounds. She had become overwhelmed with the number of animals and the rate at which they multiplied. In this instance, an individual who came to her house to buy a rabbit alerted the authorities to the living conditions.
What I learned.
1. Identify the Source of the Problem
Ellie stressed that it is vitally important to identify & deal with the source of the problem. Hoarding behavior is a symptom rather than a cause. Root causes can be related to OCD, depression, anxiety, and dementia to name a few of the most prevalent causes. Just cleaning up the space won't usually be enough to fix the problem. As a matter of fact, the act of cleaning up the premises, can makes things worse by causing the hoarder extreme anxiety and upset. You can expect them to return to their old behaviors unless they receive help for the underlying problem.
Many hoarders are extremely isolated. Whether that is a cause or effect of the behaviour is uncertain. While most of us are uncomfortable poking our noses into other people's lives, a certain awareness of and sensitivity to "typical behaviors" may help to address the problem before it advances too far. If you suspect that someone you know has a problem, you can call your local protective services department to ask that they investigate. You can do this anonymously.
2. Collaborative Efforts Produce the Best Results.
Traditionally, hoarding was dealt with only through City Code Enforcement when property became a health or safety hazard. However, Code Enforcement is limited in scope. In some cities, the city can only issue citations for violations on the on the outside of the property. A better approach involves a coordinated plan involving reprentatives from Adult Protective Service, Animal Control, Senior Service Providers, Code Enforcement, the Fire Department, and Housing agencies. This is best option for lasting solutions. Buena Park, CA's Neighborhood Improvement Task Force is a particularly successful model of collaborative, community oriented approach to addressing the issue of hoarding and its effects on the hoarder and those affected by hoarding.
Links:
LivHome www.livhome.com 949.794.9470
Orange County Task Force on Hoarding www.ochealthinfo.com/behavioral/amhs/hoarding.htm
Orange County: Older Adult Services: 714.972.3700
Adult Protective Services 800.451.5155
Office on Aging 800.510.2020
Clutterer's Anonymous www.Clutterersanonymous.net
National Association of Professional Organizers www.napo.net
National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization www.nsgcd.org
Los Angeles County:
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Hoarding Fact Sheet: www.la4seniors.com/hoarding.htm
Riverside County/San Bernardino County - I am still looking for resources. You may want to contact providers in Orange or Los Angeles County for referrals.
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