STEPS forward

Social worker and hoarding specialist Elaine Birchall gives her best advice for helping a hoarder.

1 Complete a safety audit. Find the heat sources, such as electrical panels, fireplaces, hot water tanks, furnaces and stoves, and make sure there is a clearance of at least four feet around them, if space allows. The paths to those heat sources must also be free and clear in case of fire and should be at least 33 inches wide.

2 Create boundaries and limits, especially if you live in the same home as the hoarder.

Build a positive cotenant dynamic by defining who “owns” each room and what is allowed in each space. Common areas must be clear so that all tenants can use the space and have a social life.

3 Decide on permanent spaces.

A permanent place is a storage area that makes sense for an item. For example, you’d never store canned goods under the bed—you’d put them in a kitchen cupboard or pantry. When choosing a permanent place, hold the item and close your eyes. Ask yourself, “Where is the first place I’d look for this?” That is where it should be.

4 Do your research.

Rather than insisting that you know why the hoarder should part with an item, find an appropriate expert source. For example, if a hoarder wants to keep expired foods, go to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; the organization’s website will explain why it’s unsafe to keep around.

5 Show respect.

Don’t apply pressure. Work at the hoarder’s pace and don’t diminish his or her feelings. Try to put yourself in that person’s shoes by doing a mental tally of 20 possessions you love and imagining how you might feel if a family member made you throw them away.