Are You Concerned about Whether Your Senior Is Hoarding?
Hoarding is a little bit of a bigger deal than just having a cluttered home. If you really think that your senior might be a hoarder, some of these details can help you to dig deeper.
Clutter Has Taken Over
Hoarding means that your senior is accumulating more and more belongings. Some of these might be obviously trash, especially since this can be a big part of the hoarding problem. But very often hoarded items are just accumulating to such a degree that they take over your senior’s home. She might not have room to safely walk through her home, for example. When the clutter keeps expanding, there’s only so far it can go.
She Goes to a Lot of Sales
If your senior is buying a lot more than she usually does, she might be hoarding. People who hoard might visit a lot of yard sales, garage sales, and even thrift stores. Listen to what your senior tells you she does in her free time. If she’s going to a lot of different types of stores and sales, she might have more of a problem than you realize.
Items Arrive, but They Don’t Leave
Lots of people who tend to frequent sales and thrift stores might indeed buy a lot of items, but those items go to friends and family or find another home somewhere else. For a hoarder, items come into the home but they don’t leave again. That might be the problem that your senior has. She’s collecting items more quickly than she can find something to do with them. It’s even worse if she has no desire to do anything with those items.
You’re Not Allowed In
One of the biggest signs that your senior might have a hoarding problem could be if you’re not even allowed into her home. People who hoard items know that their friends and family would not understand, so they make an effort to keep you out. If you don’t see the hoard, their logic is that you can’t do anything about it.
If you’re pretty sure that your senior has a problem with hoarding, it might be time to seek out additional help from her doctor. This isn’t an easy situation for either of you and it can take a lot of time to get through to your senior. Once you’ve got her home cleared, home care providers can be a huge help in maintaining her home and keeping her as safe as possible.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care services in Monroe, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care Serving Somerset and Middlesex/Union Counties today. Call (732) 607-8870.
The Care Street mission is straightforward and compelling: to provide a comprehensive range of the highest quality home health services in a professional and efficient manner that will enhance our clients' quality of life and empower families to keep their loved one at home.
Care Street has earned a reputation of excellence among hundreds of families, and is recommended by medical professionals and hospital discharge planners throughout the State.
- How To Balance Caregiving Stress and Being Nurturing - April 12, 2024
- Six Ways Home Care Assistance Prolongs Abilities for Seniors - April 4, 2024
- Companion Care at Home Helps Seniors Embrace Independence - March 29, 2024