Elderly compulsive hoarder trapped in bathroom for 3 days

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/state/x359565835/Elderly-compulsive-hoarder-trapped-in-bathroom-for-three-days

Elderly compulsive hoarder trapped in bathroom for three days
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By Eric Tsetsi
GateHouse News Service
Posted Sep 03, 2008 @ 11:04 AM
Last update Sep 03, 2008 @ 11:10 AM

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Winchester, Mass. — Police rescued an elderly compulsive hoarder who had been trapped in the bathroom of her garbage-filled home for three days before her screaming caught the attention of neighbors.

When police arrived to the Salisbury Street home Monday at around 6 p.m., they found it in total disarray, according to the police report. The woman was apparently a compulsive hoarder, police said.

The house, particularly the kitchen, was filled with trash, piles of newspapers and other debris, police wrote in their report. There was so much trash in the kitchen that police couldn’t walk through the room. Bugs and flies were swarming around the garbage.

“The living room, dining room and front foyer were littered with hundreds of pieces of mail, dozens of empty plastic shopping bags, and piles of newspapers,” police wrote.

Apparently the woman had been stuck in her bathroom for about three days, when she eventually was able to scream for help out her second-floor bathroom window. Neighbors heard the screams and broke into the home by shattering a kitchen window. They then called police for help.

Fire fighters and paramedics responded to the scene and transported the woman to Winchester Hospital for treatment. The woman, who lives alone, was suffering from leg numbness.

Police recommended that the Board of Health inspect the house, and that the Massachusetts Elder Abuse/Neglect Services be notified for an assessment of the situation.

“While the interior of the house did not appear generally unclean, other than the kitchen, the conditions were unsafe,” wrote police.

The woman had recently hired a cleaning company to take care of the home, but has since hoarded more garbage, according to police.

According to the Mayo Clinic, hoarding syndrome is typified by the excessive collection of items that have little or no value, such as old newspapers or trash.

The compulsion can create such cramped living conditions that entire rooms may be filled to capacity, and homes can be left with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter.

Eric Tsetsi can be reached at 781-674-7731 or etsetsi@cnc.com.

Active Member Joined: Apr 29, 2008 Posts: 495

So another solution would be to add to the hoard until the hoarder is trapped and has to call out for help? "Brought you some more magazines, mom!" Thumb's up!

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject: Hi

VJ,

You're a goof!

Thumb's up!

Sally-Sue

Valued Member Joined: Jul 03, 2008 Posts: 4

VJ wrote:

So another solution would be to add to the hoard until the hoarder is trapped and has to call out for help? "Brought you some more magazines, mom!" Thumb's up!

Oh you're funny! I guess if the neighbors break in and the police have to show up then the person is going to get help, but if the family tries to intervene, the hoarder is "a competent adult who can choose how to live"! pulling my hair out