Massachusetts Elder Services Assists with Hoarding Cases
The Salem News has posted a report about a task force formed by Elder Services in Danvers, MA to contend with the issue of hoarding. The report states in one incident a Danvers woman was seriously injured and sent to the hospital after a pile of her things fell on top of her. The woman was reportedly trapped underneath the pile for about a day before she was discovered.
The task force set up by Elder Services provides a way for elderly individuals with hoarding issues to get help. According to the report, many of the incident reports that the Elder Services sees involve a serious problem with hoarding. Roughly 11 to 15 percent of the cases that pass to protective services in several areas throughout Massachusetts involved hoarding cases.
People often look at the clutter in their garage or their closets and don’t give it a second though, only to see it pile up higher and higher as the days and weeks go by. Although it may not pose a threat or a problem at first, in time it can inevitably become a safety hazard. This can occur mainly if a person’s belongings are blocking exits and entrances into the home or if there are scraps of food rotting in the home. Things like this can pose a safety and health risk.
