Excessive and seemingly

unreasonable keeping of

animals or items in a way

that is distressing and

interferes with the day to day

use of the house for a

HEALTHY and SAFE

family or social life.

What is Hoarding?

Muskingum County

Hoarding Coalition

(740) 454-9741

HOARDING

For help, contact: http://www.ocfoundation.org/hoarding/

Child abuse or neglect - CHILDREN PROTECTIVE SERVICES

(740) 455-6710

Elder abuse or neglect - ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES

(740) 452-6339, ext 108

Animal abuse or neglect - HUMANE SOCIETY

(740) 452-1077 http://vet.tufts.edu/hoarding/

Trash, Insect or rodent problems

in the county ZANESVILLE-MUSKINGUM COUNTY

HEALTH DEPARTMENT (740) 454-9741

Structural problems, tall grass, Or trash problems within city

Zanesville Code Enforcement (740) 455-0646

Addiction services

Muskingum Behavioral Health (740) 454-1266

Mental health services

Six County, Inc. (740) 454-9766

Fire code violations LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT

What is NOT Hoarding?

A cluttered house or an extensive set of collectibles.

Tips on Communicating With a Hoarder

Why do people become hoarders?

Think you know a hoarder?

Items to the hoarder are seen as valuable and provide a source of security. Hoarders may have feelings of fear about forgetting or losing items. Hoarders have a constant need to collect and keep things. The hoarder may be looking for a way to obtain love not found from people. The hoarder may fear that others will obtain their personal information. Hoarders may have physical limitations and frailty. Hoarders may have the inability to organize and often times show self-neglect. Even if a hoarder recognizes hoarding in another person, they may not see the behaviors in themselves. Hoarders may have had a stressful life event and rely on hoarding to cope.

1. Contact the hoarder face to face. 2. Use a soft, gentle approach and let the hoarder tell their story. 3. Treat the hoarder with respect and dignity. 4. Respect the meaning and attachment to possessions by the hoarder, which may be as intense as human attachment. 5. Remain calm and factual, but caring and supportive. 6. Evaluate for safety. 7. Go slowly and expect gradual changes. 8. Involve the hoarder in seeking a solution. Reassure the hoarder that others will try to help and work with them. 9. DO NOT force interventions. 10. DO NOT press the hoarder for information that appears to make them uncomfortable.

Do they save or collect more things

than they need?

Do they keep collecting things even

though their house and storage

spaces are full?

Do they find value in things that

other people say are NOT valuable?

When they try to stop collecting

things or try to discard objects, do

they feel overwhelmed?

Does the amount of “stuff” in the

house make it hard to sleep, sit,

move around, cook, bathe, or

socialize?