| Compulsive hoarding may have been a well kept | | | | a mistake. They are perfectionists to the extreme. To |
| family secret, but now the family is concerned over | | | | avoid making a mistake, they will choose not to make |
| the aging parent's safety in the home. This is an elder | | | | a decision. The compulsive hoarder has such high |
| care crisis that is starting to rear its ugly head. Care | | | | standards and fear of failure, that the smallest task |
| giver stress over concerns about health code | | | | that they perform becomes overwhelming and |
| violations, fire safety or a fall that could lead to a death | | | | stressful. They emotionally paralyze themselves with |
| and being buried by trash. | | | | the minutiae of everyday tasks. |
| City and county agencies have developed task forces | | | | Compulsive hoarding is increasing as the population is |
| to deal with the compulsive hoarder. The home of a | | | | aging. There has been more studies and research |
| hoarder looks like any other person's home from the | | | | done in the past ten year. There is now more known |
| outside. Sooner or later, the accumulation of debris in | | | | and discovered than was ever known before. |
| the house gets to a point where the local government | | | | Because individuals of this disorder do not think they |
| agencies are contacted. The neighbors may have | | | | have a problem, it goes undiagnosed and untreated. In |
| complained about a terrible stench coming for the | | | | fact, cases are usually discovered by social service |
| home or the local utility company has cut off the | | | | agencies or local government agencies before the |
| electricity or water to the home. | | | | mental health professionals are aware of a problem. |
| For some, their care giver or family member has had | | | | There is presently a large and growing diverse group |
| to report them. Upon discovery, what is found is often | | | | of professionals including local health and fire safety |
| shocking: things piled from floor to ceiling. Doors and | | | | services, health care providers, and social service |
| windows are blocked. The stove, refrigerator, bathtubs | | | | providers looking into this growing problem. Because of |
| and sinks are unusable because they are covered by | | | | the nature of the hidden disorder community police, |
| piles of clutter. | | | | legal and judicial services as well as public funding |
| The hoarder has created a maze in their home, as | | | | sources have joined forces to learn more about the |
| their nest. They find comfort and solace in having their | | | | nuances and problems associated with compulsive |
| things around them. They get to point where some | | | | hoarding. |
| tunnel through their belongings to get to one spot in the | | | | Treatment at the present time is still being investigated. |
| house to the next. They are no longer able to care for | | | | It is known that such a strong and emotional |
| themselves and in many instances have become a | | | | attachment is placed on their belongings by the |
| danger to themselves. | | | | individual. Cleaning the environment and removing the |
| Symptoms of dementia, Alzheimer's disease and | | | | debris is ineffective. The aging senior will just fill up the |
| types of mental illness may play a role in the aging | | | | space with more things. |
| senior's behavior. Studies show that many elderly | | | | Some medications are prescribed for some of the |
| hoarders have been diagnosed with an anxiety or | | | | other mental disorders the aging senior may have such |
| personality disorder. | | | | as anxiety and depression. Cognitive behavioral |
| More on an elder care crisis. Caregiver stress over | | | | therapy is a solution that is being explored. Compulsive |
| compulsive hoarding and safety in the home | | | | hoarders can rationalize everything about the way |
| Pet Scans of individuals identified with compulsive | | | | they live. Unless they see a need to change their living |
| hoarding behaviors show a low activity level in the | | | | situation, their hoarding will continue. |
| midline part of the brain. It is believed that this low level | | | | As the elder care crisis of compulsive hoarding shed's |
| of energy affects the "firing" of connections in the | | | | some light on this disorder, science and research are |
| brain. The result is difficulties with making decisions and | | | | working to improve the treatment. For now, there will |
| throwing things away. | | | | be caregiver stress concerning that aging senior and |
| Aging seniors that suffer from this disorder are usually | | | | the safety in the home. |
| intelligent individuals that do will do anything not to make | | | | |