< Back

Treasured Lives

We want Tasmanians who live with hoarding or have challenges maintaining a healthy home to have access to effective support so they can age well at home.

This research project looked into the experiences and needs of Tasmanian families, carers, and service providers who support older people living with hoarding or challenges maintaining a healthy home.

So what do we mean by…?

Hoarding is a recognised psychiatric disorder involving challenges with acquiring, sorting and/or discarding items or animals. It may lead to living spaces being unsafe and difficult to use for their intended purposes, such as sleeping, cooking and bathing. People with such challenges hold significant attachment to items, which makes discarding difficult. It can also lead to people being socially isolated.

Challenges maintaining a healthy home describes an unsanitary environment that has arisen from extreme or prolonged neglect and poses health and safety risks to the people and/or animals living there, as well as others within the community. It could be because there is an accumulation of rubbish, decomposing food, grime, dust or mould. This can lead to health challenges for those who live there.

‘Older Tasmanians’ in Treasured Lives are people aged over 50, or 45 if they are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

Interview with Lindsey Fidler

In this video we speak with Social Researcher, Lindsey Fidler about the Treasured Lives project.

We discuss:

the need for this research
the risks to older people
how Tasmania can tackle such a complex issue.

Research findings

Background

It is estimated that 2.5% of the adult population live with hoarding. This means about 5,000 older Tasmanians might have hoarding behaviour.

It is estimated that one household with hoarding could cost the government over $56,000 in emergency care and legal matters. If that household is given effective specialist supports, the cost falls significantly.

This means the Tasmanian government could be spending over $200m on older Tasmanians living with hoarding or CMHH. If resources were spent on effective specialist supports, we estimate the cost would fall to under $800,000 per year, with additional supports through Primary Health Tasmania.

Treasured Lives has looked at what Tasmania needs to deliver effective support for these households. The first phase of the project looked at the experiences and needs of families and carers. The second phase has looked at how services currently try to provide support and deal with problems. Together they provide Tasmania’s first in-depth insights into hoarding and CMHH.
Phase 1 Families and carers

In the first part of Treasured Lives, we talked to the families and carers of older Tasmanians who have challenges with hoarding or maintaining a healthy home.

The report focuses on what we know about people who live with this issue and the experiences of their families and carers. It examines how to help families and carers and what’s being done interstate and internationally.
Full Report Summary Report Presentation Slides
Phase 2 Policy and services

This part of the research explored what Tasmanian services need to help older people who have challenges with hoarding or maintaining a healthy home.

It looked at aged care and disability support, and other services like housing and mental health. It also explored the role of statutory agencies such as emergency services, local government environmental health and animal welfare organisations.

Staff working in these areas were interviewed to ask what it’s like for them. They reported that they had nowhere to refer their clients to and were sometimes unable to work with them due to workplace health and safety issues. These are some of the most vulnerable older Tasmanians, but there is no safety net to help them age well.

The report also looked at policy, programs and practice in other parts of Australia and internationally that support people living with this issue, particularly older people.
Full Report Full Report (Word) Summary report Summary report (Word)
What does Tasmania need?
We recommend the Tasmanian Government and Primary Health Tasmania invest in:
1. a policy and a practice framework, developed and implemented by a designated lead state government agency
2. a positive community education campaign
3. regional Tasmanian collaboration and services which include:
  - multidisciplinary professional networks for local case management and support
  - specialist case management
  - specialist clinical, psychosocial, practical and peer supports for older people
  - specialist clinical, psychosocial, practical and peer supports for families and carers
  - a partnership response to critical incidents that leads to positive supports
  - services of last resort that can minimise client and environmental harm to levels within the risk tolerances of mainstream services
  - a workforce development plan
4. a digital hoarding and CMHH information hub.
5. testing the service design with older Tasmanians living with hoarding or CMHH.
To do this, we estimate that the Tasmanian government needs to invest about $3.3m over 5 years from 2022-23 to 2025-26. As well, Primary Health Tasmania would need to invest about $4.5m over the same period.

This investment would provide intensive supports for up to 90 people a year. It would also allow mainstream services to improve and expand their response to this group.

This would be a significant saving for the government and give Tasmanians living with hoarding or CMHH access to effective supports that enable them to age well at home by 2025.
Tasmanian State Budget Submission

Events

Past events
Regional Workshops

Anglicare Tasmania held Treasured Lives Workshops across Tasmania in February 2022 to bring together professionals interested in supporting Tasmanians living with hoarding or challenges maintaining a healthy home.

These workshops aimed to:
- build knowledge about hoarding behaviour, the challenges for clients and how to support them
- build regional networks by bringing together professionals to encourage case management and partnership working
- facilitate change by identifying regional needs that might help services work together to support families.
Download Treasure Lives Workshop Presentation

Hear talks from Lindsey and guest speakers Siobhan Marriott (artist and member of a family living with hoarding), Lesley King (Tasmania Fire Service) and Rick Fulton (Housing Tasmania).

Webinar – Treasured Lives: Tasmanian Carers Supporting Hoarding

Facilitated by TasCOSS CEO Adrienne Picone, this webinar explored hoarding and what’s needed to ensure we can support older Tasmanians living with these challenges to age well at home. Participants had the first opportunity to hear our lead Researcher, Lindsey Fidler, share insights from Treasured Lives. It also included families and carers supporting older people living with hoarding or challenges maintaining a healthy home. Mental Health Families and Friends CEO Maxine Griffiths and Carers Tasmania’s Executive Policy Officer Dr Christine Materia also spoke.

Precious Excess: Compulsive acquisition

11^th February to 26^th February 2022, Moonah Arts Centre, Tasmania

This group show brought together five artists from across Australia, the USA and the UK, responding to themes of acquiring and discarding, as witnessed through the caring of family members with hoarding behaviours. While building on compassionate mental health and peer support connections, these works explore the consumerist influences of capitalism and trauma behind amassing material belongings.

See the artists’ work via Instagram @precious.excess

Read Lindsey’s introduction to the exhibition below:
Precious Excess Introduction by Lindsey Fidler (PDF) Precious Excess Introduction by Lindsey Fidler (Word)

Tools and links

This is a selected list of resources that may be useful for those living with hoarding and/or maintaining a healthy home (CMHH), their families and carers, and those working with these two groups.

Select Resources

Websites

Name/Title	Target Group	Location	Run By	Description
r/hoarding	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Worldwide	Hosted by large social media platform Reddit, run by volunteer moderators. 34,000 registered members.	Public discussion forum offering advice and support. People post questions, rants/venting, and personal progress. Has a wiki with comprehensive info and resources. Note: some posts can be confronting to read.
Maroondah Hoarding and Squalor Network	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Australia	Forum for agencies and community groups in the City of Maroondah, Victoria, Australia.	Excellent introductory articles. Comprehensive resource guide for Maroondah locals and others
Hoarding Disorders UK	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	UK	Hoarding Disorders UK	Resources and information for people affected by hoarding.
Children of Hoarders	Families and carers	Mainly US	Volunteer grassroots, non-profit	Online resource for family members of hoarders. Resources, information and support. No longer being updated.
The Adventures of Kat	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Australia	Hoarding Home Solutions	Short blog posts with the serial story of a fictional hoarder and her ups and downs. Relatable and very well-written.

Audio visual resources

Name/Title	Author	Target Group	Description
Hoarding Disorder playlist	International OCD Foundation	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	A Youtube playlist of short (2-3 minute) videos explaining hoarding disorder.
Clutter Chronicles	Lori Koppelman	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Podcast. A conversation with Mary, who calls herself a recovering hoarder. Ended 2020
Overcome Compulsive Hoarding	@ThatHoarder	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Podcast. Tips, advice, experiences and interviews from a compulsive hoarder who is trying desperately to change.
Hoarding Stuff	David Woods	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Podcast. A hoarding expert and a person living with hoarding issues talk and investigate the challenges of hoarding.
The Hoardganize Podcast	Rachel Seavey	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Podcast. A professional organiser offers tips and shares her experience.
Helping hoarders let go	ABC Radio	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Archived radio broadcast. An interview with Jessica Grisham, a clinical and research psychologist at the University of NSW.
The psychology of hoarding	ABC Radio	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Archived radio broadcast. Interviews with Professor Randy Frost (co-author of Buried in Treasures), a support worker, and two people who hoard.

Books

Name/Title	Author	Target Group	Description
Buried in Treasures	David Tolin, Randy Frost and Gail Steketee	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Self-help treatment program. The basis for many therapy groups.
Treatment for Horading Disorder	Gail Steketee and Randy Frost	Service providers	Therapist guide for clinicians and other professionals
Stuff: Compulsive hoarding and the meaning of things	Randy Frost and Gail Steketee	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Case studies and exploration of the psychology of hoarding
Digging Out: Helping your loved one manage clutter, hoarding and compulsive acquiring	Michael Tompkins and Tamara Hartl	Families and carers	Practical advice focusing on harm reduction and salvaging relationships
Children of Hoarders: How to minimize conflict, reduce the clutter, and improve your relationship	Fugen Neziroglu and Katharine Donnelly	Families and carers	Aimed at helping adult children of hoarders manage their own emotions. Uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, mindfulness etc.
Understanding hoarding: Reclaim your space and your life	Jo Cooke	People living with hoarding	An explanation of what hoarding is and an 8-step plan with practical steps to tackle the problem
Overcoming hoarding: A self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques	Satwant Singh, Margaret Hooper and Colin Jones	People living with hoarding	Offers support, guidance and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy activities to help overcome hoarding
Reclaim your life from hoarding	Eileen Dacey	People living with hoarding	Workbook with case studies, self-care strategies and an action plan
Dirty Secret: A daughter comes clean about her mother’s compulsive hoarding	Jessie Scholl	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Memoir by the daughter of a parent living with hoarding behaviour
Coming Clean	Kimberley Rae Miller	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Memoir by the daughter of a parent living with hoarding behaviour
White Walls: A memoir about motherhood, daughterhood and the mess in between	Judy Batalion	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Memoir by the daughter of a parent living with hoarding behaviour
Lessons in letting go: Confessions of a hoarder	Corinne Grant	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Memoir by an Australian commedian
Mess: One man's struggle to clean up his house and his act	Barry Yourgrau	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Memoir and exploration of hoarding by a person living with hoarding issues
An Ordinary House	Tania Reid	Families and carers	Child's picture book about finding hope while living in a hoarded house.

Training

Name/Title	Target Group	Run By	Description
Hoarding unpacked training and consultancy	Service providers	Maire Joy Barron	Offers training and supervision online, phone and in-person. Fee to be paid.
Hoarding Home Solutions for Family & Friends	Families and carers	Hoarding Home Solutions	Online. Workbooks, video lessons, real life stories and resources and tools. 12 x 1-hour sessions. Fee to be paid.
Hoarding Home Solutions for Support Professionals	Service providers	Hoarding Home Solutions	Online. Workbooks, video lessons, real life stories and resources and tools. 12 x 1-hour sessions. Fee to be paid.
Helping People Who Hoard	Service providers	Rebecca Mezzino	Online interactive workshop with a strong focus on developing empathy, compassion and understanding as well as skills and confidence. Fee to be paid.
Helping People Who Hoard: Alternatives to nagging, pleading, and threatening	Families and carers	Michael Tompkins via IOCDF	44-minute Youtube video. Covers dealing with people who refuse help and repairing damaged relationships. Free.
Unpacking the Complexity of Hoarding and Squalor	Service providers	Centre for Community Welfare Training	Online course, 2 x 7 hour sessions. To equip frontline workers to understand and work with hoarding disorder and severe domestic squalor. Fee to be paid.
Stuffology	Service providers	Dr Jan Eppingstall	Workshops and tailored programs by one of Australia’s hoarding experts. Fee to be paid.

Support groups

Name/Title	Target Group	Location	Run By	Description
Hoarding and clutter support group	People living with hoarding	Zoom	ARC Victoria	Peer-led mutual self-help support group. Free.
Hoarding/Cluttering Support Group	People living with hoarding	Private Facebook group	Volunteer members	Emotional, educational and psychological support, and a resource for understanding hoarding and cluttering
Adult Children of Hoarders	Families and carers	Private Facebook group	Volunteer members	‘A place to get support, share experiences and feelings, and sometimes laugh at the absurdity of it all – without judgment’
Family and Friends of Hoarders Support Group	Families and carers	Private Facebook group	Volunteer members	‘A safe place to be able to let out the frustration of living with a hoarder.’
MYCOHP (Minor and Youth Children of Hoarding Parents)	Families and carers	Groups.io	Volunteers	‘A safe, understanding, peer support group for minors and youth living in hoards.’
Children of Hoarders	Families and carers	Groups.io	Volunteer members	‘Join us for support, information sharing, and understanding… a community of people who grew up the same way or have similar adult experiences and can relate’
r/hoarding	People living with hoarding Families and carers Service providers	Reddit	Volunteer members	Public discussion forum offering advice and support. People post questions, rants/venting, and personal progress. Note: some posts can be confronting.
r/ChildofHoarder	Families and carers	Reddit	Volunteers	Public discussion forum offering advice and support. People share stories, ask questions and vent their frustration. Note: some posts can be confronting.
Arafmi Carer Support Group (not hoarding specific)	Families and carers	Zoom	Arafmi	For family and carers of people with mental illness.
Safe Spaces (not hoarding specific)	Families and carers	Face to face and zoom	Mental Health Families and Friends Tasmania	For family and carers of people with mental illness

Professional support services and treatment

Name/Title	Target Group	Location	Run By	Description
Catholic Healthcare Buried in Treasures Support Program	People living with hoarding	online	Clinical support group program	15-week program
Lifeline H2H Family as Motivators	Families and carers	online	Clinical support group program	10-week program. Free with GP Mental Health Care Plan.
Dr Jan Eppingstall, Stuffology	People living with hoarding	Melbourne	Psychologist	Hoarding specialist offering therapy over Zoom as well as in-person
Julie Jensen, Changes in Between 0411 241 005	People living with hoarding	Melbourne	Counsellor	Primarily a grief counsellor with training and interest in hoarding. Offers phone and Zoom therapy as well as in person
Tania Ried, For the Croweded House 0427770510	People living with hoarding	Melbourne	Therapist	Hoarding specialist with telehealth options
George Turnure 0413 674 328	People living with hoarding	Sydney	Clinical Psychologist	Works frequently with hoarding and offers multiple telehealth options
Rebecca Ghattas 02 5301 6084	People living with hoarding	Bathurst NSW	Counsellor	Specialises in hoarding, OCD and anxiety. Offers telehealth.
Catherine Madigan, Anxiety Treatment Australia 0429 883 671	People living with hoarding	Melbourne	Clinical Psychologist	Specialises in anxiety disorders and treats hoarding. Offers online and phone counselling.
Fiona Mason, Ace of Space 0437 772 097	People living with hoarding	Hobart	Professional organiser	Works with people wanting to declutter or downsize, and also works with NDIS and MyAgedCare participants. Has training in hoarding.

Download List

Name/Title	Download list
Treasured-Lives-resource-list-feb-2024	Treasured Lives resource list

Treasured Lives

So what do we mean by…?

Interview with Lindsey Fidler

Research findings

Background

Phase 1 Families and carers

Phase 2 Policy and services

What does Tasmania need?