There are deeper dangers attached to compulsive behaviour that lie hidden behind popular misconceptions, and anonymous posts on the social media. Some television shows and articles in the popular press have made an entertainment parody out of hoarding.
We unmask the real truth about compulsive hoarding in this post. You may have to set a few misconceptions aside, as we deep-dive into this topic. We clear hoarded houses frequently in our line of business. We have seen the dangerous side of this condition.
Compulsive Hoarding Spinning Out of Control
Hoarding begins as a harmless habit of ‘keeping things for a rainy day’. Although the imperative to recycle is adding another layer. Empty spaces in cupboards fill with clothes that are unlikely to see the light of day. Chest freezers stack with leftovers that lie forgotten for years.
The deeper dangers attached to compulsive hoarding may only surface later, as the afflicted person ages. They become less mobile. Even putting out the rubbish for collection becomes a chore on a rainy day. Piling up things in unused corners becomes the preferred solution.
Hygiene standards begin to drop as it becomes tougher to clean cluttered kitchen counters, and floors blocked with stuff. Poor hygiene becomes the new norm. Even navigating through it becomes a challenge for an older person with a walking frame. They are trapped in a situation of their own making.
When Compulsive Hoarding Becomes a Deeper Danger
We should not under-estimate the dangers lurking in a hoarded house, of a older person in frail condition. Especially if they live alone and have become withdrawn with few, if any visitors. Their cluttered home can become a dangerous place. They may be living on borrowed time before a fall.
Hope may lie in a trusted relative or friend breaking through this self-imposed isolation, and showing them how to straighten out their lives. Mind you, this is no easy task, because hoarding seems akin to normal living to an affected person. Indeed, they may resist offers of help, and even slam the door in your face.
The Three Biggest Dangers of Uncontrolled Hoarding
It was not for nothing that our mothers taught is to put our toys away, when we we were finished playing with them, and hang our clothes up in the cupboard after we took them off. They also persuaded us to leave the windows open so we could admit fresh air. Hoarding runs counter to all this logic.
1 – Fire Is the Deepest Risk of Compulsive Hoarding
Piles of clutter stacked together with other flammable items can catch alight, and burn like a camp fire as they reach out for more oxygen. If flames block access to doorways between rooms and to the outside, they can obstruct people trying to escape, or fire fighters wanting to enter.
This is a textbook case of how not to have a safe home. The tragedy is many hoarders do not encourage visitors, and seldom go outside. For these reasons we rank the danger of fire among the deepest perils attached to compulsive, uncontrolled hoarding.
2 – Danger of Tripping and Falling Among Clutter
Bones become brittle as seniors age. What was a bump when were teens, can become a compound fracture as we age. Older folk may lack the strength to pull themselves upright after a fall. They could lie among their clutter for days before anyone misses them.
3 – Deep Garbage Affects a Compulsive Hoarder’s Health
Rubbish lying on a floor attracts insects and rodents. Mildew follows, creating a perfect breeding ground for germs and disease. A small cut from a fall or an accidental bump, can become serious in an old person with diminished immunity. There’s no doubt that this a real threat for any hoarder.
How Best to Help a Hoarder in These Circumstances
We have written quite comprehensively on these pages concerning how best to help a hoarder you are fond of. And we have often recommended taking a softer approach, and chipping away at the problem bit by bit. However, the time may come when friends and family need to take more decisive action.
Two Ways to Tackle a Cluttered Hoarder’s Home
- If the hoarder is in a frail condition, then this may be an opportunity to move them to a safer environment, where they receive frail care support and counselling. You could then enter their home, uplift their documents and any valuables, and call in a hoarded home clearance team.
- Alternatively, if your hoarder is still able to attend to their basic needs, then you could help them de-clutter their home, while they retain their independence. In a nut shell, you would clear and tidy the rooms together, and them find a hoarded home clearance company to take the junk away.
Avery offers a one-stop service in this regard. We have our own permanent team, and a professional valuer will work with them to recover personal documents, and any items of collectible value.
They will hand these items to you, and discuss what to do with them next. Meanwhile our team will bag and bin the rubbish, after which our subcontractor will cart it away for responsible recycling at the local council depot.
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