It is a hidden problem that affects hundreds of thousands of Australians, putting their families and communities at serious risk of death and disease. Compulsive hoarding of useless items, multi-faceted self-neglect and people who allow their home to fall into a squalid state constitute a serious public health issue which welfare agencies and charities say is more widespread than many would assume.
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While there are no Australian studies of the conditions to date, research in the US, Britain and other OECD countries indicates between 400,000 and 1.1 million Australians may be suffering from hoarding disorder and need help to overcome the condition.
A recent report by Catholic Community Services NSW/ACT, which has offered a specialist service to help people affected by hoarding and squalor since 2008, says hoarding is a recognised and debilitating psychiatric condition where a person feels compelled to collect excessive numbers of possessions, often of little or no value, while being unable to discard worthless objects.
This frequently leads to squalid living conditions for the affected person and their family and subsequently poses a public health hazard to the wider community. It can be the result of age-related illnesses such as dementia, trauma or childhood neglect, mental illness, or even a genetic history of hoarding.
The problem can occur at any life stage and across a wide range of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, exposing families - particularly dependent children or elderly relatives - to serious health and safety hazards, such as fires, disease, vermin, possible homelessness from eviction, isolation from neighbours and mental health problems.
The report is quick to note that hoarding and squalor are very different to enthusiastic collectors or general messiness.
''Hoarders gather items that are of little apparent use or value and can experience great distress and immense grief if they lose an item,'' the report says.
CCS director Annabel Senior said 60 per cent of the charity's clients affected by hoarding had allowed their environment to deteriorate to such an extent that other welfare agencies refused to assist them because of the danger to staff. It costs CCS up to $4000 a client to clean affected properties.
''You need special training to deal with this issue,'' Senior said.
''It can be confronting. It is a labour-intensive, long-term effort that needs multi-agency support.''
Data from CCS indicate about half of the clients they assist with hoarding issues are aged between 50 and 69, most live in public housing and the majority have lived in squalor for between two and nine years. The overwhelming majority suffer mental health issues and are isolated from family members and the community. Senior said a multi-agency approach was needed to protect the community, as well as assist those affected by hoarding. She said, ''We can sometimes get results with just a few visits but it can also take more than a year depending on the complexity of a client's circumstances.
''Importantly, the trust we build with people also connects them to other services they need, such as mental health, hospital and aged care services.''
For advice and referral advice, contact the Citizen’s Advice Bureau on 6248 7988 or at www.citizensadvice.org.au
