Hoarding - There Are No Easy Answers!

I did some pro bono work recently for someone who is about to lose her apartment because it is so disheveled. Even though she didn't feel well enough for us to work on her apartment, I left her with a list of things to do to organize her apartment as well as a list to maintain the systems we set up. The sad part is, if she is like other hoarders I've worked with, it will be back to disarray shortly.

Hoarding is not just a matter of clutter - the problem goes far deeper. There are usually psychological issues that relate to the hoarding.

Not only is hoarding a health and safety risk to the individual, but to those who live with and around him/her. I've read numerous articles over the winter of hoarders dying as a result of their jam-packed homes catching fire or because fire-fighters couldn't find them. Merely navigating through a hoarder's residence is a safety issue as well.

If you have a hoarder in the family, you may want to read this thought-provoking Wall Street Journal article by Melinda Beck. There are no easy answers!

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