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SAVVY SENIOR
HOW TO HELP AGING PARENT
WITH HOARDING PROBLEM
Dear Savvy Senior,
My 70-year-old mother has become
somewhat of a hoarder. Since my father
died a few years ago, her house is so
disorganized and messy that it’s becoming
a hazard. What should I do to help her?
— Troubled Son
Dear Troubled:
Clutter addiction is a problem that
affects up to five percent of Americans,
many of whom are seniors.
The problems can range anywhere
from moderate messiness to hoarding
so severe it might be related
to a mental health disorder, such
as obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Here’s what you should know, along
with some tips and resources that can help
your mom.
Why people hoard
The reasons most people hoard is because
they have an extreme sentimental attachment
to their possessions, or they believe they
might need their items at a later date.
Hoarding can also be a sign that an older
person is depressed or showing early symptoms
of dementia.
Jim Miller
Common problems for seniors who live in
excessive clutter include tripping and falling;
overlooking bills and missing medications
that are hidden in the clutter; suffering from
the environmental effects of mold, mildew
and dust; and even living among insects and
rodents.
What to do
To get a handle on your mom’s problem,
the Institute for Challenging Disorganization
offers a free “Clutter Hoarding Scale” that you
can download at ChallengingDisorganization.
org.
If you find that your mom has a moderate
cluttering problem, there are a number of
things you can do to help.
Start by having a talk with her, respectfully
expressing your concern for her health and
safety, and offering your assistance to help her
declutter.
If she takes you up on it, declutter in small
steps. Take one room at a time or even a portion
of a room at a time. This will help prevent
your mom from getting overwhelmed.
Before you start, designate three boxes for
your mom’s stuff. One pile is for items she
wants to keep-and-put-away, another is the
donate pile and the last is the throwaway pile.
You and your mom will need to determine
which pile her things belong in as
you work.
If she struggles with sentimental
items that she doesn’t use, such as
her husband’s old tools or mother’s
china, suggest she keep only one
item for memory sake and donate
the rest to family members who will
use them.
You also should help her set up a
system for organizing the kept items
and new items.
Find help
If you need some help with the decluttering
and organizing, consider hiring a professional
organizer who can come to your mom’s home
to help you prioritize, organize and remove
the clutter. The nonprofit group National
Association of Productivity and Organizing
Professionals has a directory on its website at
NAPO.net to help you locate a professional in
your area.
If your mom has a bigger, more serious
hoarding problem, you’ll need to seek professional
help. Antidepressants and/or talk
therapy can help address control issues, anxiety,
depression and other feelings that might
underline hoarding tendencies and make it
easier for her to confront her disorder.
To learn more and find professional help,
see the International OCD Foundation, which
provides a hoarding center on its website
(Hoarding.iocdf.org) that offers information,
resources, treatments, self-help groups and
more. Also see HoardingCleanup.com, a
site that has a national database of qualified
resources including cleaning companies and
therapists that can help.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior,
P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit
SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to
the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy
Senior” book.