This Full House
It is a voluntary program that helps individuals experiencing hoarding behaviours to live safely in their home. The program provides a Registered Social Worker to help older adults make difficult choices about belongings in their home, and to decrease the anxiety they may feel about letting go of their belongings.
This Full House is the first and only program of its kind in Canada and is designed to assist older adults whose “stuff” fills their homes and limits their lives. Homes full of saved items result in falls and injury, isolation and emotional distress and can lead to fires and evictions.
This Full House is a voluntary program that helps Winnipeggers 55+ experiencing hoarding behaviors to live safely in their homes. This program is the first of its kind in Canada and is designed to assist older adults whose belongings fills their homes and limits their lives.
What is hoarding?
Hoarding is a complex issue where urges to save items and difficulty discarding belongings can lead to excessive clutter in the home. Hoarding can affect all aspects of a person’s life, including their physical, financial, emotional and social well-being.
People struggling with hoarding issues may experience the following:
- Urges to buy, collect or save items beyond what is needed or useable – even though their home and/or additional storage spaces may be full
- Strong attachments to items regardless of their actual worth, such as old papers, containers and food items
- Strong emotional attachments are formed with many items for comfort or safety
- Efforts to let go of belongings provoke distressing emotions, such as anxiety, guilt, and shame
- Clutter interferes with safe and functional use of the home for sleeping, cooking, bathing, and socializing
- Others see the clutter as problematic or dangerous, while the person struggling with hoarding may or may not recognize the severity of the issue
Change takes a team
Our social workers have received specialized training to help people learn to make difficult choices about the belongings in their home, and to decrease the anxiety they may feel about letting go of their belongings. The goal of This Full House is to help people learn skills that will create lasting change in their home environment and their life.
The presenter had a very compassionate, humane approach to dealing with clients with hoarding disorder.
I found the entire session very informative and i would highly recommend it to any colleague in the future.
The workshop was life-saving. I would not have been able to accomplish anything in my home without it. It has given me hope. - Unburied from Treasures participant
If you are concerned that an older adult you know may need assistance from the This Full House program, please download our This Full House Referral Form below or call:
A & O: Support Services for Older Adults Intake Line
In Winnipeg: 204-956-6440
Toll-free: 1-888-333-3121
Fax: 204-946-5667
E-mail: [email protected]