Hoarding Canberra
It is estimated that between 2 and 5 per cent of Australian adults are living with hoarding disorder, with the condition tending to become more problematic in older age. Hoarding is associated with substantial functional disability and represents a great burden for the sufferers, their families and society. These sufferers are often reluctant to seek help for their problems, causing great distress to family members. Sometimes, when possessions and clutter spill over to communal areas, e.g. front and back gardens, neighbors may be affected too and councils may be forced to intervene.
Hoarding is a complex form of OCD where a person has three main problems:
They have difficulty in discarding items.
They buy, save or collect anything and everything and are unable to throw anything away, even when space is running out.
They have problems with organization of items.
These problems often culminate in the hoarder living in a small area of a room, with the rest taken over by the saved or difficult to discard items. There is believed to be three categories of hoarding:
Prevention of harm hoarding – A hoarder fears that harm will occur if they throw things away; for example dustmen will be injured by sharp edges of discarded cans or glass objects, or that someone may be contaminated from a discarded item.
Deprivation hoarding – A hoarder feels that they may need the object later, sometimes because of previous experience of deprivation. For example the 1999 Sydney hailstorm caused a great deal of damage, many were left with nothing, and so everything became valuable and reusable.
Emotional Hoarding – For some people hoarding becomes emotional, where perhaps, because of past traumatic experiences with people, they believe objects hold a special emotional significance. For example where a loved teddy bear can be trusted more than people, a person will develop relationships with objects rather than people.
Attempts at re-organizing usually result in hours of moving objects from one place to another within the house, or even within a room, without any effective result, so it becomes physically and emotionally draining to the sufferer. Often people who hoard are unable to make progress without help and support through treatment. Hoarding can also pose significant health and safety risks, and can result in significant distress and/or impairment in day-to-day living.
Read more about hoarding disorder https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/hoarding-disorder
Hoarding clean up Service
Hoarding is a complex problem often occurring over many years, the person usually hoards everything from personal items to personal waste creating dangerous and unhealthy living environment. Our specialized team for hoarders in Canberra is trained to work respectfully when clearing and cleaning a property and sensitive attention is given to the difficulties faced by everyone involved in the operation.
We are experts in managing hoarding cleaning; our experienced, sensitive and discrete hoarded house clearance specialists carry out the removal and disposal of accumulated possessions, rubbish and clutter from the home of a hoarder in the most sensitive and private manner. We will ensure the property is returned in a safe and hygienic state; items for removal will be agreed and confirmed, particularly when dealing with a deceased hoarder in Canberra.
For all the information you need, we are here to help.
Help for Those Clearing out a Hoarder’s House
If you have the task of clearing out a hoarder’s house that is sadly deceased, we are able to help. Our caring team deals with all enquiries with the utmost discretion and sensitivity in all matters relating to compulsive hoarding. Deceased Estates Canberra has staff ready to answer any concerns or questions you or a representative may want to discuss. We are able to offer hands on service delivered with understanding, care, advice and above all total client discretion.
Will and Document Finding
Our specialists are also experts at finding important items hidden amongst the mass of hoarded household contents such as wills, personal papers and financial documents that could be crucial to solicitors and surviving family who are winding up a probate estate. We regularly find financial papers relating to banking affairs, investments the last will and testament and other valuable items that the beneficiaries were unaware of.
Reasons to Choose Us
Our technicians are trained specifically to deal with property of hoarders
Identification of items of value.
Clearance, removal and safe disposal of all waste.
Cleaning and 100% decontamination of unsanitary environments.
Professional, accredited and discreet service.
Deceased Estates Canberra is a complete solution to a challenging problem. Hoarding often results in an unsanitary, unsafe and hazardous environment. Professional clearing, cleaning and decontamination quickly return the property to a habitable and saleable condition. Hoarding cleanup requires specialist skills and experience and we have the skills to provide a complete cleanup service with compassion, sensitivity and professionalism.