• The acquisition of, and failure to discard, a large number of possessions that appear to be useless or of limited value.
• Living spaces that cannot be used for the intended purpose due to clutter
• Significant distress or impairment in functioning caused by the hoarding

Possible Signs of Hoarding Behavior

• Blocked entries and exits (doors/windows)
• Narrow or limited pathways in the home due to accumulation of materials
• Large piles of combustible materials such as newspapers, magazines, used food containers and rubbish
• Excessive collection and storage of items in the residence or yard that interferes with the intended use of that space
• Foul odors coming from the home
• Vermin and/or insect infestations
• Excessive amount of companion animals
• Spoiled and/or rotten food
• Accumulated human and/or animal waste
• Non-working or inaccessible utilites, such as heat, running water, sewer, refrigeration

Hoarding also goes by: cluttering, chronic disorganization, obsessive compulsive disorder, and others.

Clutter-Hoarding Scale: Institute for Challenging Disorganization

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization has resources and a diagnostic scale available on their site at: http://challengingdisorganization.org/content/clutter-8212-hoarding-scale.

 

National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization

The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD) offers an assessment tool for officials to use as a guide for the assessment of hoarding behaviors. For additional information please contact the Task Force, attend one of our meetings, or visit the NSGCD site at: www.nsgcd.org. All information about the levels of hoarding/cluttering is copyright 2003 by the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization.

The site is broken into three major sections.

1. Community and Personal: resources meant to help hoarders or those in their families or local community
2. Government and Professional : Government and professionals associated with hoarding
3. TASK FORCE: The Arizona Hoarding Task Force