Dangers of Chronic Hoarding
At Go Junk Free America, we specialize in helping chronic hoarders clean out their homes. Not only does this give the hoarder a fresh new beginning, but it is also a tremendous stride toward restoring a safe and healthy environment for the individual.
Although it’s often thought of as purely a psychological disorder, like many conditions, its results far outreach its root cause. Chronic hoarding is particularly dangerous in this regard because the clutter presents physical dangers for the individual, up to and including death. Potential problems include:
- Hypothermia
As piles of papers and other objects grow, important items such as utility bills get buried and go unpaid. In time, the electricity and gas get turned off and the chronic hoarder is left with no heat in the winter. Although the piles of junk in the home may provide enough insulation to keep the individual alive, if the temperature outside continues to plummet, hoarders can develop hypothermia and other serious conditions associated with a lack of a properly heated shelter.
- Disease
If the water gets shut off, indoor plumbing is useless and the hoarder may be forced to forgo bathing, even in the event that the bathroom is still accessible. No working toilet also means unsanitary methods of relieving oneself become standard and disease can quickly spread due to the lack of sanitation.
Pest infestations
Cockroaches, rats, and other vermin quickly move into areas where there is little sanitation and plenty of food and places to hide. These creatures also carry diseases with them, which can not only affect the health of the hoarder, but of his or her neighbors as well.
- Trips & falls
In the presence of so many obstacles, hoarders are more liable to trip and fall, potentially causing themselves serious injuries, such as fractures and concussions. The elderly are especially at risk, since they may not be able to get to a phone to call for help after such a fall.
- Fire
When the electricity gets shut off, hoarders will often resort to candles, which, in the vicinity of so many flammable objects, can easily start a fire. Fires can also be started by papers on top of stovetops or hot plates, and cigarettes that are not carefully snuffed out. Once the fire starts, it quickly spreads and the stacks make it difficult and sometimes even impossible for the firemen to reach the trapped hoarder in time.
Structural collapse
In severe cases of hoarding, the hoarder may collect so many items that the floor collapses, as it did under a Connecticut woman who was found dead in her basement after the floor gave way.
Fortunately, although hoarding can become a very dangerous lifestyle, help is also available. While simply cleaning out your loved one’s home is seldom an effective strategy, a thorough clean-up combined with counseling and behavioral therapy can help hoarders regain their lives and escape a dangerous situation.
If you or someone you love has gotten counseling and is ready for the next step of cleaning out their home, Go Junk Free is ready to help.
Give us a call at 877-465-8653 or book us online.
Go Junk Free is proud to serve Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties, including the communities of Los Angeles, Burbank, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Sherman Oaks, Marina Del Rey, Brentwood, Hancock Park, Glendale, Culver City, Belair, Santa Monica, Universal City, Encino, Inglewood, North Hills, Valley Village, Reseda, and Tarzana.
