How To Help Elderly Parents With Hoarding

1. Start cleanup with small steps.
2. Let your elderly parent have a say in what stays and what goes, but don’t keep everything.
3. Provide emotional support.
4. Never blindly throw things away – this could cause a serious rift between you and your parent.

How do you treat elderly hoarders?

Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, is the primary treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most common form of psychotherapy used to treat hoarding disorder. Try to find a therapist or other mental health professional with experience in treating hoarding disorder.

How do you help a hoarder who doesn’t want help?

Hoarding Cleanup: How to Help a Hoarder in Denial

1. Use Love – First of all, let them know that you care about them.
2. Listen – Don’t start an argument or become confrontational.
3. Ask Questions – During this conversation, don’t tell the hoarder what the problem is with their behavior.

What stage of dementia is hoarding?

Hoarding for a person with dementia may be more likely to happen in the early and middle stages of dementia and often stems from trying to have some control in their lives. People with dementia may be driven to search or rummage for something that they believe is missing.

What should you not say to a hoarder?

Don’t say: “How can you live like this?” Instead, say “ I care about you and worry about your health and safety.” Don’t make it personal. Shift the focus away from the person and onto the hoard.

What do hoarders suffer from?

Those most often associated with hoarding are obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression.

How do you talk to a hoarder?

The following are some helpful things you can do or say to help someone struggling with hoarding:

1. Educate Yourself on Hoarding.
2. Focus on the Person, Not the Stuff.
3. Listen and Empathize.
4. Set Reasonable Expectations.
5. Recognize Positive Change.
6. Volunteer to Help.
7. Suggest Online Counseling Services Like Teletherapy.

What is the fastest way to clean a hoarder’s house?

6 Easy Steps For Cleaning A Hoarder House

1. STEP 1: Clear out the Trash.
2. STEP 2: Clean and sanitize your floors.
3. STEP 3: Disinfect everything.
4. STEP 4: Scrub down the bathroom.
5. STEP 5: Deodorize.
6. STEP 6: Don’t forget the small stuff.

Does hoarding run in families?

Does hoarding disorder run in families? Yes, hoarding disorder is more common among people who have a family member who has hoarding disorder. The cause of hoarding disorder remains unknown. Genetics is likely only one part of why hoarding disorder affects a particular individual; environment plays a role as well.

How do you help a hoarder with dementia?

If their hoarding is annoying yet innocuous, such as collecting tissues, it may be best to ride out the behavior. As with many dementia behaviors, this compulsion to collect things may eventually pass. When appropriate, you can try to reason and talk through selecting items to dispose of and give away.

Why do old people collect so much stuff?

Elderly people may say they compulsively collect all that “stuff” because they believe that an item will be useful or valuable in the future. Or they may claim things are unique, hold sentimental value, or are irreplaceable.

What helps people with dementia sleep at night?

How to get dementia patients to sleep at night: 8 tips for better sleep

1. Treat pain and other medical conditions.
2. Create a soothing environment.
3. Check for medication side effects.
4. Encourage physical activity during the day.
5. Get some sunlight.
6. Establish a sleep schedule.
7. Limit daytime naps.
8. Avoid stimulants.

How do you survive living with a hoarder?

So I suggest this approach when dealing with a hoarder.

1. First – understand that hoarding is a serious disorder.
2. Second – educate yourself about hoarding.
3. Third, take care of yourself.
4. Make two rules:
5. Educate Yourself.
6. Provide Practical Support.
7. Dig Deep for Patience.
8. Understand That It Is a Process.

How can you live with a hoarder?

Do not force Change. Remember you do have a choice not to live in the clutter at some point. Acknowledge how hoarding has impacted your life and seek therapy to deal with its impact on you. Validate your own feelings.

How do you start to declutter a hoarder?

Our Best Decluttering Tips

1. Know your hoarding tendencies.
2. Start small: 5 minutes at a time.
3. Donate the clothes you don’t wear anymore.
4. Focus on one room at a time: the bathroom is a good place to start.
5. Ask for help: declutter living rooms with your family or your friends.