“Too Much Stuff”

1. “Too Much Stuff”

2. Hoarding • Obtaining materials, failure to discard, accumulation of a large number of possessions. • Home is cluttered to the point where it becomes a safety hazard. • Emotional/physical distress caused by the large amount of accumulated material. • Home is cluttered to the point where it is impossible to maintain its intended use.

3. Only in the Media • A four month search for a missing women came to and end when her husband found her corpse in their home amid the labyrinth of squalor. • A hoarder was stuck in so much garbage and debris and junk that when she died, she had to be removed through a hole cut into the roof of the home.

4. Acquisition Purchasing Stealing Free Items Saving Clothes, newspapers, worthless, worn Disorganization Clutter Mixed Importance Behavior Churning Out of sight fear Attachments Sentimental Instrumental to their daily life Intrinsic value Data 55-90 target population Animal/Material Manifestations of Hoarding

5. Animal Hoarding • Mostly female • Mid 50’s • Single • Socially Isolated • Mainly cats and dogs • Ascribe human qualities to animals • More closely attached to animals than people

9. Health Issues Associated with Hoarding • Lack of Sanitation • Rodents • Transmission of communicable disease • Unfit for human habitation • Safety Issues • Blocked Entrance/Exits • Fire Hazards (homeowner/safety forces) • Social Issue • Isolation from family society • Afraid to ask for help • They are aware of how others view their home

10. Cuyahoga County Initiatives • Local Task Force • Cuyahoga County Hoarding Connection • Developing a comprehensive database utilizing nationally approved tools (Clutter Image Rating Scale, Hoarding Rating Scale) • Developing a comprehensive database on existing city ordinances on health & safety in the home • Working with communities already utilizing Standard Operating Procedure (Parma) • Comprehensive educational outreach to those community services impacted by the problems • Develop a resource database listing those organizations available to help with cleaning, follow-up clinical treatment, manpower

11. Conclusions • Hoarding disorder is common, chronic, and debilitating for individuals and their family members • Hoarding is unique biological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral features • Traditional medications and treatments for OCD have not been very helpful • Need to further improve treatment to reduce overall impact and reduce clinical therapy • Design specific models to increase opportunities for care • Sometimes you need to move fast and clinical intervention is not an option.

12. Do you remember when pain was a symptom now it is a disease • A GROWING PROBLEM • CHANGES OVER TIME IN OHIO

13. Prescription Drug Misuse, Abuse and Overdose: The Epidemic – Ohio 1 1Source: Ohio Dept of Health, Office of Vital Statistics

14. Prescription Drug Misuse, Abuse and Overdose: The Epidemic – Ohio In 2007, unintentional drug overdose became the leading cause of injury death in Ohio, surpassing motor vehicle crashes and suicide for the first time on record. *Source: ODH Office of Vital Statistics

15. Critical Key Messages Prescription drugs are safe and effective when used as prescribed by a doctor but can be dangerous and even deadly when misused or abused. Prescription drug abuse is a significant problem in Ohio and can affect anyone, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. Prescription drugs must be locked in a secure place when kept in the home and should be properly disposed of when they are no longer needed. Seniors have become a prime target for those interested in obtaining prescription medications illegally.