Hoarding: A Serious Situation

1/25/2019 (Permalink)

According to The Mayo Clinic, “A hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty in discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A person with a hoarding disorder experiences stress at the thought of reducing inventory. Excessive accumulation takes place regardless of actual value.”

Many people with a hoarding disorder do not find their habits to be a problem. Hoarded items are captured which others would throw away, viewing them as junk or garbage such as old newspapers, second-class mail, or packaging. Hoarding can lead to a living space filled with extreme clutter from years of accumulation, making living conditions unsanitary and crowded. Bugs, fleas, rats and other vermin may be present to such an extent that an exterminator may need to be called. At times, hoarding may spread outside the home as well, filling a storage facility, garage, or even yard. SERVPRO of Champaign/Urbana encounters hoarding situations in several types of instances. It is not a rare for a fire or water loss to reveal a hoarding problem.

SERVPRO of Champaign/Urbana will communicate with the insurance company regarding a property owner’s contents coverage, which, after approval, may be packed for prospective cleaning or drying, and stored by SERVPRO of Champaign/Urbana to expedite work on the actual fire or water loss at the building structure itself.  SERVPRO of Champaign/Urbana may also encounter a hoarding job through a call from a landlord, caseworker, real estate agent, or family member upon the death of a loved one. In these situations, the crew will learn if they should look for any items of importance in the course of their cleaning. Sometimes family members will personally assist in helping the hoarding relative sort contents as well.

Each case is different and hoarding jobs are often sensitive situations, but SERVPRO of Champaign/Urbana is committed to helping make it “Like it never even happened.” If you encounter a hoarding situation at one of your properties or with your insureds, call SERVPRO of Champaign/Urbana for a careful, but thorough response.  (JB)