Are Elderly and Seniors at Risk for Hoarding?

• Compulsive hoarding can begin after brain damage, such as strokes, surgery, injuries, or infections.
• Typically occurs at age 50 and older.
• Seen also with other disorders such as dementia, eating disorders, autism, and mental retardation
• It may be hereditary. Up to 85% of people with compulsive hoarding can identify another family member who has this problem
• Abnormal brain development and or brain lesions may also play a role
• Also in people with no psychiatric disorder
• Most frequently associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• 25-40% of people with OCD have compulsive hoarding symptoms

• People who are beginning to show signs of hoarding often are referred to as “pack rats”  Know anyone?

A person must experience significant distress and/or impairment in functioning as a result of their hoarding to meet criteria of a diagnosis.

Types of functional impairment include:

• Fire or health hazards caused by excessive clutter, infestations,
• Inability to have guests over to the home
• Inability to prepare or eat food in the home
• The inability to find important possessions because of the clutter
• Unable to finish tasks on time
• Personal conflicts with family, neighbors, spouse caused by the clutter

It’s common that a hoarder’s counter tops, furniture including their bed, stairs, and floor to be stacked with their possessions. As the house including the basement fills up, they will often use their yard, car, or garage for storage.

Those who hoard typically see value or future need of these items. Frequently there is an emotional attachment to the items they are hoarding, often reminding them of happier moments in their life, or significant people. Being surrounded by these items brings them comfort and a feeling of safety.

It is estimated that up to 1.2 million people suffer from compulsive hoarding in the USA.

Seniors and the elderly are at risk because of age onset, dementia, strokes, infections, and falls causing brain damage.

Help for hoarding must be done by a medical professional since it is found in various medical conditions.  Cognitive therapy and or medications can help. This is something that will remain present to varying degrees for the rest of their life.

SOURCES:

• www.webmd.com
• http://psychiatry.ucsd.edu

 All my best! Kathy

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