Hoarding what is it
Thanks to the television series Hoarders, more people know about the condition in which people collect things, ranging from newspapers and household items to animals and even human fluids, but cannot get rid of them. It may be related to mental health conditions such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder but not necessarily, leading mental health officials to conclude that it could be a distinct condition. It can be treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), medication or a combination.
A good resource for information is available at ementalhealth.ca, a non-profit initiative of the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health.
It's hard to estimate how many people have problems with hoarding because many are able to keep their hoarding secret. But estimates suggest hoarding occurs in 5% of the population. In the Tri-Cities, authorities deal with approximately five to six cases of hoarding a year. However, they only respond to situations where excessive clutter could be a health and safety risk to either the resident or their neighbours.
Hoarding in the Tri-Cities - yes, experts say
It's a desperate situation brought on by anxiety and a compulsive need to save, collect or stockpile things mostly of little value. It's called hoarding and if you or someone you know is a hoarder you may need help.
The problem is assistance may be difficult to get unless you have an underlying mental illness, but left untreated or unresolved, hoarders may be burying themselves in their clutter, putting themselves or their neighbours at risk.
"Think about the debris - it's a huge fire hazard," said Mary Longworth. "Something must be done so it doesn't become an unsafe environment."
She's a clinical counsellor working with hoarders in the Fraser Health region and fears many people are going without help or support to deal with their issue.
Approximately 5% of the population is believed to suffer from this condition, obsessively collecting things such as books, papers or other household items, without being able to get rid of anything.
The problem often goes unchecked until firefighters or bylaw officers are called out to address a safety issue or a complaint. Longworth, who uses cognitive behavioural therapy to help hoarders deal with their anxiety, has formed a business with two other colleagues to create Hoarders' Helping Hands.
BRINGING AWARENESS
Together with Paymaneh Ritchie, a Port Moody resident who works with hoarders using art, interior design and meditation therapies and Kristy Jackart, a Maple Ridge resident and owner of Brilliant Cleaning Services that specializes in household and trauma scene cleaning, the group has formed Hoarders' Helping Hands to fill a gap in services for hoarders.
But they also think the problem is larger than what their company can provide and they think government should step in and provide more services - such as information or even a support group.
Hoarding is an issue that has arisen elsewhere: the cities of Vancouver and New Westminster have it on their radar. But it's not considered a problem in Port Moody, Port Coquitlam or Coquitlam, where only a handful of hoarding cases are dealt with each year.
In Vancouver, a special action team was formed to deal with hoarding cases and is working with UBC to study the effectiveness of the approach. New Westminster wants the province to help cities deal with hoarding.
The issue hasn't been raised to any degree in the Tri-Cities or by Fraser Health, but probably should be, said Jackart.
"We are hoping to open people's eyes to see it as a condition," she said.
She has seen or heard of hoarding cases where items pile up until they get to the point where homes need special treatment. Costs can be extensive, up to $12,000 in some cases, and landlords are often caught in the middle, dealing with tenants who don't have the money or the ability to get rid of their clutter.
HIDDEN PROBLEM
Between three and six cases of compulsive hoarding take place in the Tri-Cities each year, but more likely remain hidden behind closed doors.
In PoCo two years ago, a fire destroyed a house but it wouldn't collapse because there was so much material and the resident slept in a tent on the lawn.
Yet its not unusual for hoarding situations to go undetected because firefighters have limited authority and only enter a private home upon complaint.
"Because it's private property [entering people's homes] it's a tough thing to do," said Shawn Davidson, Coquitlam's assistant fire chief.
When they do gain entrance, they are restricted to dealing with safety issues, such as blocked doors and windows, combustible materials near an ignition source or heavy items are placing too much load on an apartment floor,.
Port Moody fire chief Remo Faedo said residents with hoarding issues usually comply, but families are often left disappointed because there is only so much emergency responders can do.
"We're not necessarily disturbing their lifestyle, we're asking for a minor modification, providing clear paths to exits and keeping the stove top clear of combustibles," Faedo said.
When the clutter extends out of doors, it's up to bylaw officers to deal with it, but they, too, have have limited authority. Dan Scoones, Port Coquitlam's manager of bylaw services, said property owners can be ordered to clean up outdoor clutter or are handed the clean-up bill if the city has to do it.
"We've certainly had our share of hoarders We're talking about somebody who just can't throw anything away," said Scoones who has researched the subject. "They've filled up the house and they're moving out into the yard. That's when the neighbours say 'hey, wait a minute.' People who hoard, I think they don't have the same concept of what this stuff means compared to you or I - they have a serious attachment to it."
EMERGING ISSUE
In the Fraser Health region, there are no services specifically targeting hoarders but treatment is offered to people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness, which could include hoarding behaviours. That could leave a gap in services for less serious but problematic cases, agreed Denyse Houde, director for mental health and substance abuse services for Burnaby, New Westminster and the Tri-Cities.
Mental health workers do join teams of municipal bylaw officers and fire fighters to help deal with hoarders and, if the person is diagnosed with a mental illness, the health authority can provide therapies or even hospitalization in situations covered by the Mental Health Act.
But that approach might not work for people whose condition prevents them from seeking help, who are isolated or whose hoarding issue isn't so acute that it requires mental health intervention.
Houde agreed that more research is needed to identify the need and possible resources as more people become aware of the issue.
"I will take that forward, in terms of a bigger health issue, we could look at what other programs we could work with," Houde said, acknowledging that dealing with hoarding through public health may be one option.
For now, people with hoarding issues and their families have to find ways to deal with the problem, mostly on their own. But Hoarders' Helping Hands provides fee-based services depending on the need. The company owners are also interested in collaborating with those wishing to start a support group.
More information is available at www.hoardershelpinghands.com
