If there鈥檚 one thing Claude Bartholomew has learned after years of providing cleanup services for hoarders, it鈥檚 the importance of discretion.
鈥淲e get jobs dealing with situations with people who come from all walks of life,鈥� said Bartholomew, a principal with 1st Hoarding Cleanup and Vancouver Island Trauma Scene Cleanup.
While some hoarders reach out after acknowledging they have a problem, others are referred by organizations such as insurance companies, public trustees and social agencies, he said.
Bartholomew, whose other services include biohazard cleanups of homicide and suicide scenes, body decomposition and industrial accidents, provides an alternative to cleanups by volunteers.
鈥淚t depends on the competency of the individual, where they are in the system and who is legally responsible,鈥� said Bartholomew, when asked who most often refers them.
Since hoarders often feel shame and value their privacy, Bartholomew goes to great lengths not to divulge details that could identify a client.
One that he can acknowledge is a cleanup of a 400-square-foot studio apartment that was so full of accumulated items even the balcony was overflowing.
鈥淣othing had been thrown away, ever,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淭here were pigeons and seagulls on the balcony 鈥� a combination of animal waste on top of items.鈥�
His team鈥檚 first priority is to ensure a person has access to the bathroom, cooking and sleeping areas and that they can safely exit their living space, he said.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to change a person鈥檚 behaviour right away,鈥� said Bartholomew, noting it鈥檚 important a cleanup operation doesn鈥檛 overwhelm a hoarder, and that it鈥檚 done in stages.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 say: 鈥極K, everything must go!鈥� 鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is what we can accomplish in a day. We鈥檙e not just walking into someone鈥檚 house and tearing their life apart.鈥�
While an outsider can make suggestions and offer to help sort items, it鈥檚 important to let the hoarder make his or her own decisions and actively participate.
One approach might be to suggest a hoarder identify belongings he thinks he 鈥渁bsolutely must hold onto鈥� and move those items to a garage, if possible.
Organic materials such as perishables from a fridge that have accumulated over time can turn into hazards, he said, recalling a situation where someone鈥檚 water had been shut off.
鈥淯rine and feces were in different containers, and in bags,鈥� said Bartholomew, whose biohazard technicians are trained through American Bio Recovery Association.
鈥淗ouses are dynamic. We start thinking it鈥檚 one thing and it might morph into animals in there that have passed away, or rats.鈥�
When a hoarder is 鈥渟aturated鈥� after a de-cluttering session, Bartholomew, who has a master鈥檚 degree in social work, stops the process.
Contrary to popular perception, a hoarder doesn鈥檛 always wallow in a filthy mess that is a health concern, he said.
鈥淭he simplest job can be where someone has purchased things that are not utilized,鈥� said Bartholomew. 鈥淭here are a lot of shopaholics.鈥�
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