What to Do With Your Hoarder By Luke Linroth, 24 Restore
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hat Causes Hoarding? “Hoarding is a disorder that may be present on its own or as a symptom of another disorder. Those most often associated with hoarding are obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression. “Manifests when inanimate items are given higher value than others would give them, to the point of being ascribed ‘feelings’; despite the distress that is caused to living beings by the collecting.” Because hoarding is classified as an illness, hoarders are protected under the Fair Housing Act. Therefore, eviction is generally not an option until higher-level hoarding is reached; here are some solutions to create a positive situation for everyone involved.
Levels of Hoarding
Level 1: Livable space with limited clutter, minimal pet odors, housekeeping with safe sanitation and working appliances. Minimal pest invasion evidence. Stairways and doors are all accessible. Level 2: Two or more rooms exhibiting clutter, a major appliance is inoperable, minimal housekeeping with a consistent light unpleasant odor, overflowing garbage and mold/mildew growth visible in kitchen/bathrooms. Dirty food preparation areas, some pet waste is visible. Evidence of rodent/insect invasion. Level 3: Ceiling-high clutter, clutter visible from exterior, more than one major appliance is inoperable, no evidence of housekeeping, heavy odor, visible or audible rodents, insects and spider webs are evident. Clutter in stairs, doorways and hallways. Level 4: Structural damage such as broken pipes or walls and doorways. No clean eating surfaces or preparation/serving tools, rotting food exposed and sitting out. Significant rodent and insect infestation. Pets are free-roaming and self-sufficient. Mold. Pet waste throughout, bio-hazardous situation with packed away items inside and outside of living space. Level 5: Moderate structural damage, no utilities, presence of deceased pets and/or rodents. Wild critters (squirrels, raccoons, etc.) present in property. Occupant is sleeping and/or living offsite (in a vehicle or garage), standing water present along with fire hazards. No working bathrooms or kitchen. Human waste present.
It is important to recognize this progression in order to address the issue early to limit the cost of remedy as well as a threat to safety. This 8
Minnesota Communit y Living
could make the difference between moving contents and cleaning, or demolition and decontamination with PPE gear — as well as the difference between life and death.
Problem: Gaining Access
The resident is usually embarrassed or protective and not willing to allow access. They want the stress of clutter removed and a fresh start, yet also will not allow the items with emotional attachment to be discarded. The resident is attached to many of the items that began, or became a part of the hoarding. It may have started with a collection of dolls, turned into a collection of empty toilet paper rolls, discarded mail and pizza boxes — and escalated from there. This makes the disposal of clutter nearly impossible if the resident is present.
Solution
Family members, if available, are usually more than happy to see their loved one live in a clean and safe environment and are often willing to facilitate separation from the unit while disposal process commences. You will also want to utilize off-site disposal (truck load rather than dumpster), because it is common for residents to retrieve items from on-site disposal.
Problem: Bio-Hazard Potential
More often than not, there are pets in the dwelling; it’s less likely the pets have a designated and maintained space to do their business. This creates not only an odor issue, but can be a bio-hazard and create an unsafe living environment.
Solution
If there is a bio-hazardous element to the hoarding, you will likely not want your own maintenance crew tasked with clean-up. Training and/or certification for blood-borne pathogens, HAZWOPR or similar may be necessary to deal with these issues. A pre- and posttest is always recommended to ensure safety of all residents, and cross-contamination risk eliminated. I won’t go into the legal and liability importance.
Problem: Addressing the Issue with Resident
Offer help, give notice and document everything. There are resources online that can help with legal ramifications. One very important aspect is to always ensure that the issue be treated with compassion. In whatever ways available, protect the privacy and security of the resident throughout the process — including during the removal process. This can be a challenge in multi-housing.
Solution
Items should be boxed or bagged inside of the property and relocated as discreetly as possible to off-site disposal. Care should be taken to use terms like “items” rather than “junk” or “mess.” This also greatly