Do you know someone who hoards? What starts as a messy house can soon become much more dangerous for their safety and environmental health. Hoarding can quickly become a big problem if the number of items being hoarded starts to negatively impact a person’s daily life or the safety of their family. Some won’t acknowledge a problem, while others will know they need help but will be too ashamed to ask for it. It’s essential for the root cause to be tackled, or even after a clear out; the hoarding will start again.
Risks caused by excessive hoarding:
Health problems could include trips or falls from piles of items throughout the property. Emergency services might also need help to gain adequate access to the property’s interior in urgent situations. Any infestation issues with rats or a build-up of mould can cause respiratory illness, cardiac dysfunction, and other medical problems. If the person cannot access the bathroom, sanitary issues could cause health problems in an immunocompromised person.
Safety becomes a particular issue when you consider that access will be blocked and heating vents may be covered, which causes a significant risk should a fire break out. Depending on what items are being hoarded, structural damage could be caused due to excessive weight loads. The trouble is even greater if the collected items are volatile or flammable. When a clear out is essential, consider the benefits of Swansea Skip Hire by visiting pendragonskiphire.co.uk/swansea-skip-hire/
Large piles of items could collapse onto whoever is on the property, and if that person is alone with so much clutter, the chances of anyone locating them to assist is slim indeed. Cleaning the home becomes virtually impossible, and if children or pets are on the property, action against the homeowner will be sought. The person may initially be persuaded to part with some of the piles while psychological support is sought.
There are many psychological reasons why people hoard, but hoarding is often a symptom of a deeper underlying issue. Perhaps a rapid decline in mobility means that someone is physically incapable of tidying up the clutter. Vulnerable people with dementia may also be unable to organise the disposal of items they no longer need. Other factors include depression, psychotic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Hoarding can often appear as a sign of self-neglect in people who live alone, might have had a deprived childhood, or grew up in a home where hoarding was the norm and nothing was ever prioritised or organised. Such a chaotic existence might be comforting for them, and hoarders genuinely believe that they will need these items in the future.
