Definition of hoarding from the Mayo Clinic

• Is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them.

• This can include items as well as animals

Statistics of hoarding

• Those most likely to be hoarders - older people - unmarried females who live alone- symptoms occur in 1/3 of OCD patients- is a common symptom of dementia patients

• Estimated 6 million people, 1 in 20 affected

Hazards associated with hoarding

• Health hazards- medications can get lost in the clutter- dust and mold can exacerbate lung problems- insects and rodents- difficulty getting a stretcher into home- trip hazards

• Fire hazards- obstructed means of ingress and egress “ If you can’t get out the fire department can’t get in”- unplanned load on structural supports of house- heavy fire load (more fuel for the fire)- piles could fall over due to the fire or hose streams trapping you

• No access to maintain smoke alarms

• More fuel more smoke• Larger fire increases chance

of fire spread to neighbors home