Give hoarders a helping hand to reduce the high risk of fires in the home.
Huge amounts of piled up possessions can lead to chaos and catastrophe and need to be cleared as a matter of urgency.
Cleveland Fire Brigade, in support of Hoarding Awareness Week (15 -19 May), are appealing to friends, family and neighbours to get in touch if they know someone who may be putting themselves at risk because of cluttering up their home.
A Safer Homes Visit can then be arranged to pinpoint the dangers and signpost to other agencies where more help and support can be made available.
Robin Turnbull, Area Manager. Prevention, Protection and Engagement said: “People who acquire an excessive number of items and store them in a chaotic manner may not be aware of what they are doing and the potential risks they face. That is why it is so vital for others to get in touch and give a helping hand.
“It is really important to encourage a person who is hoarding to seek help as their difficulties discarding objects can not only cause loneliness and mental health problems but also pose a health and safety risk.
“The disorder can increase the spread of fire and smoke, particularly if there are large amounts of flammable materials such as newspapers and boxes, meaning escape routes can also be blocked.
“We want to improve safety and ensure that anyone experiencing the condition is given a FREE Safer Homes visit and has an escape plan. It is also important that the fire brigade is aware of the issue in case of an incident so firefighters can respond accordingly.”
Hoarding disorder is a mental health condition defined by the NHS as where someone acquires an excessive number of items and stores them in a chaotic manner. The items can vary in type and be of low monetary value but high emotional value to the individual. It often results in unmanageable amounts of possessions.
Many people collect items, such as books or stamps. And this is not considered a problem. The difference between a hoard and a collection is how they are stored. A collection is well ordered and the items are easily accessible. A hoard is very disorganised, takes up a lot of room and the items are largely inaccessible.
The Brigade encounters thousands of people every year through Safer Homes Visits and operational incidents and crews can highlight problems and refer them on to partner agencies for further help and support.
To book a free Safer Homes Visit go to: https://www.clevelandfire.gov.uk/book-a-safer-homes-visit/
