HOARDING BEHAVIOR: From Clutter to Chaos

The traditional definition of hoarding is the acquisition of, and failure to discard, a large number of possessions that appear to be useless or of limited value. While this definition provides a general description of the phenomenon of hoarding, it does not provide a basis to distinguish hoarding as a behavioral phenomenon from hoarding as a clinical symptom. Many healthcare professionals have faced clients whose living spaces have become so cluttered as to preclude activities for which those spaces were designed. This course will teach professionals to help their clients who have significant impairment in functioning caused by compulsive hoarding. Participants will explore the health, safety and mental health implications of hoarding by older adults and implications for treatment.