Dangers of hoarding prompt appeal from county council

With research showing up to 5% of adults experience symptoms of compulsive hoarding and a number of cases of serious self-neglect identified in Cornwall over the past twelve months, Cornwall Council, Devon and Cornwall Police, NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Royal Cornwall Hospital NHS Trust, Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Peninsula Community Health and the independent and voluntary sector are joining together to raise public awareness of the risks of this type of behaviour.

“Compulsive hoarding, where people find themselves accumulating unmanageable amounts of clutter in their homes, is a very complex issue which can impact on the individual’s quality of life and, and pose a serious fire risk” said Rob Cooper, Chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Safeguarding Adults Board. “This type of behaviour can lead to people feeling isolated and lonely which can sometimes result in them neglecting to look after themselves properly .

“We want to use this year’s Safeguarding Adults Awareness Week to highlight these issues and make people in Cornwall more aware of the signs of hoarding so they know what to do if a friend, neighbour or member of their family is at risk”.

Although the exact number of cases of self neglect in Cornwall is difficult to confirm, Pete Wild, Cornwall Council’s Senior Manager for Older and Physical Disability People Service, says his staff are currently dealing with 15 active cases of serious self-neglect.

“The issue of self neglect is a difficult one for professionals as there is a fine line between self determination and intervention by the state”he said. “Last year we reviewed our existing policy and practice on self neglect following a Serious Case Review into the case of an older man who lived on his own and was found under a pile of hoarded material. Although he was taken to hospital at that time, he did not want to engage with services when he was discharged and was sadly later found dead in his home”.

“This case followed an earlier one when a contractor raised the alarm over the health of a man with learning disabilities who was living on his own. The contractor, who was working at the next door property, saw that the man had very badly infected legs and referred him to us. Although it took a week to get to see him and deal with the problem, without the actions of the contractor he could have died or had to have his legs amputated. Instead he was admitted to hospital and has now recovered.”

Steve Rowell, from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said: “Compulsive hoarding can cause serious problems for both the individual and their relatives or neighbours” said . “As well as the clutter interfering with someone’s day to day living by making it difficult to use parts of their home, it can create tripping hazards and lead to unhygienic living conditions, including rodent or insect infestations and in most cases poses a significant fire risk”.

In the last two years the Community Safety Service has dealt with 29 cases which are considered to be ‘extreme hoarding’ of a complex nature. However these are only the known cases that have been identified through the Community Safety Service carrying out Home Fire Safety Checks or receiving a referral from a third party. Based on national statistics, it is estimated that there are approximately 700 complex hoarders throughout Cornwall – equating to 25 cases in each of the larger towns within Cornwall.

Last year there were more than 1300 new safeguarding adult referrals in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Of these referrals, 280 related to people with learning disabilities, 120 related to people with mental health issues and 350 were for people over 85 years old. This includes allegations of physical abuse emotional abuse, neglect, financial abuse and sexual abuse.

Members of the public concerned about an adult should call Social Services on 0300 1234 131.