Hoarding, a Problem Among Some Older Adults, Starts in Childhood, Expert Says

Center for Elderly Suicide Prevention and Grief Related Services founder Patrick Arbore thinks senior hoarders acquire dysfunctional relationships with things between ages 11 and 15, reports the Greensboro News & Record . He notes this is an opportunity for parents to teach their children how to organize their possessions and throw away items they no longer need, skills that are often deficient in adult hoarders. Arbore believes the tendency to hoard also stems from trauma or emotional pain, and he has had success at reducing hoarding by helping people cope with their underlying pain. Arbore says for seniors, who are more likely to have dementia and physical infirmities, hoarding also raises the risk of debilitating falls and isolation. The older population can be especially difficult to deal with because their behavior is entrenched and they have a negative image of mental health therapy. Arbore stresses the need for further study, as no evidence-based treatment currently exists. He also notes hoarders do not respond well to treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anti-depressants have mixed outcomes.