How hoarding can lead to Danger

6/22/2021 (Permalink)

People with hoarding disorder excessively save items that others may view as worthless. They have difficulty getting rid of possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts their ability to use their living or work spaces.

Hoarding is not the same as collecting. Collectors look for specific items, such as model cars or stamps, and may organize or display them. People with hoarding disorder often save random items and store them.

Possible Dangers Related To Hoarding:

• Increased Risk of Fire – The more items around a home, the higher the chances a fire can ignite and the more fuel it has to spread, which can put you in a dangerous situation.
• Decreased Escape Routes – Rescue crews often have limited access to a home due to piles of stuff blocking windows and doors. Thus resulting in fatalities, when salvation could have been otherwise possible.
• Increased Indoor Air Pollutants – Mold, Mildew, Radon, Carbon Monoxide, Pollen, Dander and Cigarette Smoke are just some of the indoor serious air impurities and odors that hoarding can cause a contaminated house and the results can lead to adverse health effects.
• Tripping or Falling – Piles of items and stacks of belongings that start to consume a house make it harder to navigate through, and easier to stumble upon. The risks increase with age, falls can even be fatal in seniors that don’t have the strength to get back up.
• Structure Collapses – The more your home stores, the greater the weight becomes and if rooms are filled with possessions the load can and has led to structures collapsing.
• Biohazard Development – If items are growing at an alarming rate, there is probably a good portion of garbage, debris possibly pharmaceuticals and if animals and pets are present feces and urine. All of these are considered a biohazard and the health risks grow the longer they remain in your home. Serious toxins and diseases such as E. Coli, Staph Bacteria, and the Hanta Virus can thrive in your house.

Luckily for you – SERVPRO is available 24 hours a day—our highly trained technicians are standing by. We have the qualified trained professionals who are ready to respond to these incidents. We will always treat your property and the people involved with the greatest empathy and respect in the face of trying circumstances.