Better education and training across agencies is needed to more effectively deal with the complex issue of hoarding, an Illawarra service co-ordinator says.
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Catholic Community Services regional program coordinator Debra Pasfield is calling on the state and federal governments to develop an inter-agency approach to better support hoarders towards self management.
Ms Pasfield is among a slew of national and international experts at the National Hoarding and Squalor Conference being held in Sydney this week.
She oversees about 35 active clients between Helensburgh and Batemans Bay, many with mental health issues, and said the best results had come from multiple layers of support and earlier intervention in the hoarding cycle.
‘‘Unfortunately, due to gaps in the system, a client’s environment can be out of control by the time we get to them,’’ she said.
‘‘We have found if more services are involved a better result is achieved.’’
It may be much cheaper to simply bring in a skip bin and start filling it, but the traumatic quick fix approach seldom worked and different strategies were often needed, Ms Pasfield said.
‘‘Sometimes the very extreme hoarders might need to go around the cycle a few times, they’re not ready,’’ she said.
‘‘They become so distressed they might pass out, they can make themselves physically ill.
‘‘So as to not cause distress we keep in touch by telephone – contact is better than no contact.’’
Many cases also involved mental health issues ranging from depression, anxiety and panic disorders to schizophrenia, bipolar and dementia.
Hoarding has been recognised as a distinct psychiatric condition since May, 2013.
Ms Pasfield also urged greater understanding in the community, ‘‘so that maybe we don’t turn our noses up and instead try and be a little kinder about how we can help the neighbour with their issues.’’