This thought process of doing it on the hoarder’s terms is completely
illogical. Would you offer heroin to a heroin addict and say use on your own
terms? Who decided this is the best way to handle the situation? I refuse
to let my mother in her last months/years of life live this way.
Furthermore, nurses and family are going to need to get into her place for
visitations and it is necessary that they have a safe environment to help
out...

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted on
Saturday, April 19th, 2008 at 07:49 PM.


Relationship : daughter
Source : google
Message : My mother is an extreme hoarder and has been for 20 years. We
cleaned out her place 7 years ago. It took 6 people, 2.5 dumpsters,
and over 6 weeks of 8 hour days to do the job. Yes, it is now back to the
original chaotic state that it was in 7 years ago. I have not seen it
since 7 years ago but my uncle says it is a  bio-science lab with all
the crap growing in the kitchen and bathrooms.  We just found out she
has cancer throughout her body. It may be her prognosis that she does not
have long to live. She is still fully capable of normal day to day
functioning but we fear that this may change suddenly as her cancer
progresses. She is in the hospital and will probably go to rehab for
fractured bones (due to cancer in the bone).

We now face the decision to clean her place while in rehab. Of course
she does not want this done and gets very angry when we bring this up to
her. I know all the information out there says to do it on the
hoarder’s terms. To me, it is ridiculous when the hoarder is facing extreme
safety issues (mold, fungus, lack of hygiene, fire hazards), lack of
quality of life, and possible eviction, loosing her condo. The social
worker at the hospital is recommending that we do not do this. So what
then if she needs help to come to her home as her cancer progresses. They
told me that the nurse would report to the doctor, the doctor would
report it to the health and safety department, and then to the condo
association, who would ultimately require us to clean up anyways.

This
thought process of doing it on the hoarder’s terms is completely
illogical. Would you offer heroin to a heroin addict and say use on your own
terms? Who decided this is the best way to handle the situation? I refuse
to let my mother in her last months/years of life live this way.
Furthermore, nurses and family are going to need to get into her place for
visitations and it is necessary that they have a safe environment to help
out.