According to Healthline and the International OCD Foundation, hoarding occurs when a person struggles to discard items and collects unnecessary objects. Over time, the inability to throw things away can overrun the individual’s home causing increased risks of dangers such as fires, bacteria and mold, pest infestation, and more. While it may seem like a simple solution to remove the items from the property, there is an incredible amount of compassion required to delicately handle a hoarding situation as it relates to the families of those affected by the disorder. Throughout my career, my team and I have encountered many hoarding cases where our clients turned to us to help them in their time of need.

One instance where we saw this play out was in the case of a family member who had received notice from his brother that he was going to be evicted from his apartment due to the conditions of the living space. His brother’s hoarding had piled up in the small apartment, spreading throughout the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Not only were these rooms messy with clutter, but they were also all impacted with a variety of feces, mold, rotting food and garbage.