-HOARDING

INTRODUCTION

Hoarding also called “Hoarding Disorder” is the compulsive urge to retain or hold onto objects because of a perceived need to save them. This behavior is regardless of the actual value of the items being hoarded, as the majority of things hoarded have no real value. There's noticeable distress when hoarded objects are taken from the individual.

The hoarding issue is that as it grows in intensity it can create a cramped living space. Movement around might be through barrow pathways which requires navigation through large stacks of clutter. Sinks, countertops, tables, and even beds aren’t spared as every available space can be used as storage for objects they feel attached to. This tendency to store objects slowly spread outside the house and their immediate storage spaces outside until there is no space to store them anymore.

Hoarding ranges from mild to severe in intensity. In some cases, hoarding might be mild and not affect the living conditions of the affected individual and they are still able to carry out day-to-day activities, while in other cases, they might not be able to function properly as a result of their reluctance to be apart from the hoarded items.

In a rough estimate, 2–6% are currently diagnosed with Hoarding Disorder. It is thought to affect men more than women. Also, it is a global phenomenon, and its signs and symptoms are consistent across race, ethnicity, country, and region (symptoms are discussed later in book). Hoarding Disorder is more common in older adults (55+ years) than in younger adults (34-44 years), but there is a possibility that it can be seen in young children.

Hoarding symptoms might appear early in life and continue for the remainder of life, with intensity growing in concurrent decades of left untreated:

· 11–15: Symptoms might appear for the first time.

· Mid 20’s: Symptoms become an interference to with daily living.

· Mid 30’s: Full scope of boarding disorder is manifested and the individual is likely to have reached the basis for a full diagnosis of Hoarding Disorder.

Around 75% of persons diagnosed with Hoarding Disorder also have a co-occurring mental health challenge. The most common are major depression, social anxiety disorder/social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder. Also, 20% of persons living with hoarding disorder also have a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

The problem with the treatment of hoarding disorder is that most people living with this disorder refuse to agree to the fact that they have this disorder, so getting them to cooperate with treatment and implementing healthier patterns is quite difficult. Treatment for hoarding disorder is usually intensive care based in order to bring about lasting change in behaviour and thought process.

Symptoms

The first and most obvious sign of hoarding is the acquiring and saving of items that slowly begin to form clusters and occupy living areas with a noticeable difficulty in discarding these items even when its known that they serve no real purpose. There is distress when asked to part with any item that has been hoarded. This is firstly manifested at childhood or as a young adult.

As the years advance, this behaviour starts to grow and the individual purchase more and more things that aren’t needed, and before too long, the living space is cramped. By middle age, the symptoms are more severe and has started to prove a severe interference with the individual's functionality.

Hoarding usually develops privately, and in most cases, before others catch on to the behaviour, there has been a significant affiliation to disorder by the individual. Often, significant clutter is present before it becomes public knowledge that an individual might be a hoarder.

Signs and symptoms may include;

· Impulsive and excessive purchase of items that there are no spaces for and no apparent need for.

· Stockpiling of items till a space becomes unusable.

· Recurrent difficulty in throwing away or discarding of items no longer in use despite actual value.

· A compulsion to save items and feeling distress at the thought of discarding hoarded items.

· Having a tendency towards procrastination, indecisiveness, avoidance, and problems with decisions and planning.

Individuals can also be animal hoarders; acquiring animals till the extent they can’t care for them. This is both a risk for both the individual, who might be attacked by the hungry and uncared for animals, and for the animals, who are often underfed and uncured for.

DEALING WITH A PROBLEM CALLED CLUTTER

Dealing with clutter from an individual who is living with Hoarding Disorder is quite the trouble, and it is not recommended that you do it personally. The services of experts are recommended for both changing the individual’s lifestyle and habits, and cleaning up the clutter a hoarder have accumulated. To fully appreciate the extent of work that’s to been done, it is best you understand that at Lola Maries and Partner we take a personal approach to ensuring that proper cleanup is done, while the hoarder work with our therapists to resume optimal health practices and stay on course for a positive change in habit. In this section, we will explain the dangers posed by hoarding, the levels of intensity of hoarding, and how we take care of clutter built up over the years.

Dangers of Hoarding

As earlier shown in this book, hoarding can have lasting damaging effect on a person's emotional and physical well-being. Beyond the unsightly look of their home, their is also the very real risks they pose for an individual. We have highlighted some of these potential risks of you to appraise and understand why it is important to seek professional help got an individual living with a hoarding disorder.

· Cleaning a den of someone who hoards can be really difficult. The clutter means very little can be done. This can lead to unhygienic situations that encourage rodents’ invasion or insect infestations.

· It can pose a fire hazard for the individual, as a badly lit match can quickly spread throughout the house as a result of the clutter. Also, the clutter might block fire or emergency exits, making it neigh impossible for the individual to escape in case of an emergency.

· There is an increased risk of trips and falls because of the numerous items lying around.

· Clutter might collapse or fall on people if kept in a large pile. This can be a big risk of injuries for the individual.

These are just a few of the risks posed by clutter gathered by a hoarder. Expert help can aid in making the environment safer and helping the hoarder correct such habits. We provide expert technicians to do a thorough environmental clean up, and also provide connection to recognized therapists to help the individual lining with hoarding disorder to make an impressive turn in their struggle with hoarding.

Stages of Hoarding

As earlier explained at the start of this book, hoarding can be at different levels of intensity. At each level, hoarding can affect an individual's life differently. An understanding of what level a person is currently at allows us effectively provide individualized care and plan the extent of sanitary measures to be carried out in the affected environment.

At each stage, a key characteristic is present and can be easily identified jf keen observation is done. Also, age plays a important role in what stage a person might be at, especially if left untreated. Understanding this helps to determine how urgent and intense the care rendered to the individual is.

The stages of hoarding include:

Stage 1 (Clutter, No concern): This is the lowest stage, and many psychiatrist believe that the individual is likely disorganized but not a hoarder (or ever will be one). External action isn’t required from you, and the person should be left to their own device as their home is a bit disorganized, but safe and sanitary. Some of the key signs at this stage are;

· All doorways, ventilation shafts, hallways are accessible.

· Ventilation is good within the house.

· An appropriate amount of pets can be found in the house

· Fire and smoke signals are present

· Absence of unpleasant odour

Stage 2 (Deteriorating Hygiene, Potential Hoarder): At this stage, an individual might demonstrate a higher tendency to keep and store items. They can also be demonstrating some of the characteristic in the hoarding scale, but this isn’t complete to warrant a verdict of boarding disorder for the individual. The individual might be aware of this decline in his overall well-being. Some of these characteristics include,

· At least one important exit is blocked with cluttsr

· Pets' pairs and hairs are streaked and can be found in different parts of the house

· Garbage overflow m8ght be present

· Doeth dishes and laundry are present. Mold grows at different parts of the hose.

At this stage, the person is still aware of his deviation from normal, and recognize that he made to contact experts to help him with his troubles. The housekeeping better is inconsistent. We live to ensure that the environments are sparkling clean and smelling really nice when we are done.

Stage 3 (Extreme organisation, likely disorder): This stage alternates between a hoarding environment and an environment that really shows a person is a hoarder. The space can easily be identified as disorganized and difficult to navigate due to the overwhelming number of items lying around. The individual's behaviour might also change as they become more socially isolated and attached to the items they owe. Some of the characteristics include:

· Insect infestation is present

· There are clutter buildup that diminish the size of living area and makes navigating it difficult.

· Multiple damaged appliances and broken dishes.

· Spills are left unattended to for days, and might prove a real risk to all involved

· Rooms are not used for the original intentions, but rather as storage units for items they are hoarding into

Prompt medical and cleaning solutions should be called when you feel a person had reached this point. It’s best you are explicit when phoning in and requesting help as this might help to plan appropriate care for the individual. At Lola Maries and partner we provide both cleaning and medical service. While, our technicians take care of restoring the environment, the hoarder works closely with out therapist to get him ready for a positive alteration in their behaviour.

Stage 4 (Excessive clutter and behaviour, Contact professionals): At this stage, there is a 90% chance that the individual is a hoarder. Professional cleaning company, animal protective services, and elderly care services. At this point, the key characteristics would include:

· Significant structural damage to the house

· Excessive amount of pets and pet wastes in the home

· Clutter preventing access to many important areas of the house.

· Expired and rotating food.

· Odour and backup in sewage points.

An expert team of cleaners are needed now more than in the previous three stages. Licensed therapists to work with the individual as there is noticeable distress and anxiety when asked to part with items that they have hoarded over the years. Lola Maries and Partner are an excellent option for a long road to recovery.

Stage 5 (Severe Unsanitary Conditions, Hoarding diagnosis): This is the highest level of hoarding. The person's environment becomes a health hazard that can’t be ignored. As a result of this, the person's life might be complicated by divorce, eviction from home, and abandonment as a result of the state of their home. Expert intervention as well family and friends' help will be needed to help ensure that things return to normal. Key characteristics of this stage include:

· Extreme indoor clutter making the interior of the house unliveable

· Poor ventilation.

· Irrepsrable damage to the general home structure

· Disconnected water or electrical services

· Pre balance of mold and mildew in the home

· Animal health is at risk, and so is the health of the individual living with the pet.

At stage 5, anyone entering the house will need to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves from biohazardous waste, injuries from sharp objects lying around, and injuries in case a pile of clutter falls. Also, cleaning the environment requires special tools to ensure that it is cleaned appropriately and well enough.

It might be hard accepting that a loved one is a hoarder, but when such a diagnosis is inevitable, let’s be the first name on your mind to help you get them and their properties back to a good level.

What we do (How we take care of Clutter)

Getting rid of clutter might be more difficult than imagined. While you are trying to help the individual by doing so, they might see you as an enemy and feel an intense anger towards you and distress at the thought of separation from the items he has hoarded.

As a professional hoarding cleanup company, we work with therapists and proven cleaning technicians to prepare hoarder and their environment for cleanup. It is always best to seek the help of professionals when planning on cleaning up a hoarder's abode as the task will likely prove dangerous and demanding.

Expert hoarding cleanup services as demonstrated severally over the course of this book is an extremely tedious and laborious work. It is advisable not to attempt cleaning up on your own especially if you lack the right equipment for doing so. Our cleaners at Lola Maries and Partner have a wide range of tools and PPE available to them to do the job excellently without exposing themselves to accidents and health hazards. They have access to eye protection masks, puncture-resistant gloves, biohazard suits, hard hats, respirators, dust masks, and hard-sole shoes that helps them carry out their job effectively.

They are also provided with fire extinguishers, bug sprays, first aid kits, and flashlights to ensure that they can handle any challenge the encounter during the course of the cleanup. Since you have no legal backing to handle biohazardous waste, it is only right you leave it to the professionals.

We provide high-quality, compassionate, and personalized cleaning services in line with our mission to consistently provide reliable care for our clients. Our technicians have the needed skill and expertise to carry out their duties expertly and efficiently. They will work in tandem with you on strategies that are to employed in cleaning the hoarder's home. They also have the right tools and equipment to do the work both effectively and complete it on the right time.

Our services include;

· Clutter removal/cleanup

· Search and recovery of items: paperwork and valuables, etc.

· Packing and storing

· Organization

· Deep cleaning

· Odor removal

· Distributing donations from unwanted hoarded materials

· Animal waste cleanup

· Rodents and insect disinfestation.

· Estate cleanout.

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Conclusion

Getting to help a hoarder make a change in their lifestyle and let go of their clutter is a long and slow process, and might take months of probing to accomplish this feat. However, patience will help them see that you are only trying to help, and that their lifestyle is only detrimental to their health. A good therapist will below bring about this much needed change.

Call us today to help you get that home and hoarder back on the tight track with the expertise on hand.

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