How Can You Tell Your Senior Might Be Hoarding if She Won’t Let You In?

Hoarding can be a serious safety issue for your elderly family member, but if she won’t even let you in her home, how can you tell? It’s important to look for other clues that can help you to spot hoarding behaviors.

Home Care Services in Murray UT: Your Senior Might Be Hoarding

That She Won’t Let You in Is a Big Hint

The biggest clue that your senior is hoarding is that she isn’t letting you in. She also knows that there are things going on in her home that might upset you or cause you to delve deeper than she wants you to because she’s keeping you away. Try talking to her about why she doesn’t want you in her home. It’s possible that she’s embarrassed and just doesn’t want to upset you.

She Wears the Same Clothes

When you see your elderly family member, pay close attention to what she’s wearing. If she tends to wear the same clothes every day or seems to rotate through only a couple of outfits, there may be a reason for that. She might not be able to get to the rest of her clothing or she might have other issues going on. Regardless, it’s something to investigate.

She Mentions Her Collections Often

Often people who hoard items don’t look at it that way. Your senior might refer to one or more collections that she keeps, which can take up a lot of time and space in her life. But some of these collections might not be all that they seem. Sometimes aging adults collect items that aren’t actually worthy of collecting or that could be doing her harm.

She Doesn’t Throw Anything Away

You may not be able to get into your senior’s home, but you might start to see evidence that she has trouble throwing things away. She might even have trouble throwing obvious trash away. You might see that her car or something else, like her purse, are overflowing with items that should have been thrown away.

She Seems to Shop a Lot

Paying attention to how your senior spends her time can also help you figure out what’s going on. If she seems to be shopping a lot, she might be collecting more items than you realize. For everything that goes in, she should be letting go of some items, too.

If your elderly family member still won’t let you inside her home to help her with her care and with her belongings, you may still have options. Sometimes a senior will be more open to allowing elderly care providers to help out. They can let you know what is going on and help to ensure that your senior is safe.

Are you or a loved one considering hiring Home Care Services in Murray, UT? Please talk to the friendly staff at December Rose Senior Care at Home. Providing Home Care in Highland, Utah and Surrounding Communities. 801-427-ROSE (7673)