Try: #recognize and respect that the cr is attached to the hoarded possessions and that they have meaning to him or her the cr’s fear of separating from items is real #avoid being harshly judgmental about the cr’s living conditions hoarding behavior is not simple work to ensure immediate safety by eliminating or reducing fire and safety hazards #point out immediate safety problems and explain calmly the consequences of not addressing them #ask the cr to think about some solutions offer the cr a range of possible solutions #solutions may include clearing a rescue passage throughout the house moving unstructured piles of paper or clutter into large clear covered storage tubs gaining permission to identify trash and remove it cleaning the oven of grease and removing clutter from in and around it creating clear clean workspaces in the kitchen making sure flammable solvents are disposed of properly etc #make sure smoke detectors are present and working if they are battery-operated keep replacement batteries on hand #go slowly and expect only gradual change the cr may need counseling and support try working regularly on safety organization or de-cluttering even if the cr can only tolerate short periods of focus on the tasks

Materials: Smoke detectors and extra batteries clear storage containers

Categories: Behavior Challenging, Emotional Psychological, Maintenance, Medical Physical, Mobility, Needs Some Assistance, Independence, Some Supervision

Information: n/a

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*This information is listed as a Tip and is not explicitly medically licensed