With the popularity these days of reality tv, many private details or oddities have become household conversations: Ozzy’s babbling gibberish; bug eating contests; celeb rehab; and the one that triggers frustration in me -”hoarding”.
Reality-show-based-beliefs that people can diagnosis official, distinct disorders has lead to conversations, on average twice a week, with people who “are afraid they may be a hoarder”, or whose “mother/father/neighbor/husband IS a hoarder”.
The number of times Nickie and I hear “I am/mom is a hoarder” before we go on an initial visit is huge. In reality (this real, unedited, not made-for-tv “reality”), these people typically have a few stacks of unfiled papers, dishes still in the sink from yesterday’s dinner, 2 baskets of unfolded laundry and the bed isn’t made.
Hoarding is a serious situation – for safety, hygiene and mental exhaustion. Clutter can also be an obstacle, but every person with a few disorganized areas of their home or overzealous collections is absolutely NOT a hoarder. Why do I care about this distinction? Why do I care if people over-use a term that seems convenient shorthand?
For me this distinction is important because:
a) proper support can be applied to remedy the situation ONLY if the true cause is identified. Hoarding has several identifiable causes – situational, mental, the list goes on….but that will be our next blog discussion.
b) our aging population is affected in several ways:
1. Acceptance in to safe retirement living options – “hoarding” could be a reason to deny a potential resident due to fire hazard
2. Their safety – do they truly need to be overseen due to unsafe hygiene or mobility in their living space (or do they just live on the “fuller” side than other people?)
3. Their dignity – labels come with judgment, admit it.
4. Various forms of dementia often include increased hoarding-type behaviors
The 3 main characteristics that mental health providers check for when assessing for hoarding are*:
a) Acquisition of a large number of possessions that others would consider useless, along with an inability to discard them
b) Having an overly cluttered home or living spaces — so cluttered that living spaces can’t be used as intended, such as not being able to sleep in your bed, take a bath in your tub, or prepare food in your kitchen
c) Having significant distress over your hoarding or difficulty accomplishing your daily activities
Stay tuned for more on this discussion…
Seattle’s Frye Art Museum offers a great program for individuals with dementia and their care partners.
