The Aging Population and Hoarding
Over the past few weeks, Bio-One Raleigh has received numerous calls from family members concerned about the living conditions of their aging loved ones, specifically hoarding. Sometimes these conditions arise because the loved one is no longer mobile enough to clean the residence and dispose of trash or a medical condition results in living conditions of filth. In fact, hoarding disorder is nearly three times more likely to manifest in adults aged 55 to 94. As the population of people over 60 grow, the number of hoarding cases also rises.
To the caretakers of an older person with hoarding disorder, the solution seems simple: just throw everything away. Doing that without the person’s consent is a useless endeavor. Unless they are getting the help they need, they will just start hoarding again and will also suffer severe emotional distress at the sudden loss of their belongings.
Still, hoarding can’t be ignored as it can create safety threats and other problems including:
- Fall Risks
- Fire Hazards
- Potential Injuries from Falling Items
- Pest Infestations
- Social Isolation
- And More.
Helping a Loved One with Hoarding Disorder
The most important step in helping an aging hoarder is to get them the professional help they need. Keep in mind that hoarders typically have other mental health issues along with the hoarding disorder. That’s why trying to reason with them to “just clean up” isn’t helpful.
Common disorders among hoarders include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- OCD
- ADHD
Not every hoarder lives in a home with items piled from floor to ceiling—but if the disorder remains untreated it can continue to escalate to that point. While hoarding ranges from mild to severe, if you can recognize the symptoms early, it will be easier to address and treat.
Symptoms include:
- Inability/Unwillingness to Throw Away Items that Seem to Have No Value
- Anxiety When Trying to Throw Items Away
- Inability to Organize Possessions
- Feeling Embarrassed by the State of Their Home
- Items Stored in Such a Way that it Results in a Loss of Living Space
- Fighting with Anyone Who Tries to Remove Items
When you walk into a hoarder’s home, it’s easy to understand why you’d think cleaning up is the first order of business, but it’s not. The first step must be getting them help, so they can get to the place where they can let go of some of their possessions.
The Hoarding Cleanup
Once treatment has progressed to the point that cleanup is a possibility, you may begin to feel overwhelmed and unsure where to even begin. The truth is that cleaning out a hoarder’s home is difficult and, in some cases, it can even be dangerous.
That’s why it’s best to hire professional help for a hoarding cleanup. Bio-One Raleigh is a trusted hoarding cleanup specialist serving the Triangle and surrounding areas. Our compassionate, professional team has helped many people reclaim their homes from this condition or get the home ready to sale if the aging loved one is unable to return.
We don’t just show up with shovels and start emptying the home. Instead, we work closely with the homeowner and the family from start to finish. The Bio-One Raleigh team is committed to making our clients feel safe and comfortable throughout the process.
You trusted their treatment to the professionals, so trust the hoarding cleanup to professionals as well. Contact us at 919.800.9435 today for more information about our comprehensive cleanup services and to schedule a no obligation consultation and an accurate cost estimate.
Bio-One Raleigh is owned by Karen & Rick Jacobs. We offer trauma, mold and hoarding cleanup services including biohazard, blood cleanup, suicide/homicide, feces & bodily fluid, animal waste, undiscovered death, and mold testing & remediation.
We proudly serve North Carolina’s Triangle & Triad areas including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, Pittsboro, Holly Springs, Clayton, Carrboro, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Hillsborough, Mebane, Morrisville, Wake Forest, and Wendell; as well as the following counties; Wake County, Durham County, Cumberland County, Guilford County, Orange County, Chatham County, Harnett County, Johnston County, Nash County, Franklin County and Pill County. We also provide services to Greensboro and other areas throughout North Carolina/
Bio-One Inc. is the world's first crime scene cleaning franchise. Nationally respected and locally owned, Bio-One has earned its reputation through being trusted to handle the Mandalay Bay mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, the Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida in 2016, and consulted on the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012. In 2019, Bio-One was once again included in the best and most comprehensive franchise ranking list – Entrepreneur Magazine.