The Problems of Elderly People who Hoard - Term Paper Example

Elderly people who hoard The elderly generation opines that amassing tones of wealth and other belongings is a sign of reacting to life. It also shows effects of living through or experiencing hard times. This is contrary to the idea that collection of these possessions without eradication can result to serious challenges for the younger generations as well as the similar generation hence creating conflicts and challenges that may need intervention of a social worker. Additionally, a certain foundation established that in the most affected countries such as England, there were 25 million bedrooms with no one to occupy them. With reference to observations made by non party, political charities that campaign for the rights of both the young and coming generations in different countries revealed that the lifecycle of housing is “breaking down” mainly because the older generation is “hoarding” family homes (Gail & Frost, 2006). Whilst these older people may think that they are keeping assets for the future generations, the young generations experiences the negative impacts of higher lifetime debt levels as well as limited space of living as a result. With that respect, this paper will seek to develop specific challenges faced by families in their relationship with the elder relatives that involve the intervention of a social worker and requires specific intervention action. Cognitively, it is agreeable to say that some countries such as England are battling with imbalance of housing between the young and the older generations whereby the latter is in possession of large number of properties that are of high demand to the former. In this country, growth is at an extreme low pace particularly at less than one percent per annum. Construction of small buildings characterizes new UK. Analysts claim that the existing housing turmoil experienced by people in different countries is not about these countries having adequate houses but is principally about the means by which people share these houses between the aged and the younger generations (Gail & Frost, 2006). Reports released by foundations concerned with campaigns for young generations argue that there is an increase in generational imbalance in both housing debt and wealth, with the older generation being in possession of the most property yet least in need of it. With reference too this report, it is true to ascertain that families with older generation face many problems related to housing wealth and debt mainly due to the fact that the older generation holds the most part of the housing volume even if their need is not that large or imperative. As such, they end up encountering relational challenges with regard to elderly relatives hoarding property that belongs to them. Most of the property ownership should be an essential enjoyed mostly by the younger generation. However, this is not the case with the current economic and investment status in most countries. Research results set out that the impact of property hoarding in elder generations is resulting to a situation that is making analysts claim that younger people’s state of property ownership is politically destabilizing (Gail & Frost, 2006). Deliberate studies on matters revolving around maintain that most families are finding it hard to deal with issues of hoarding by the older generation since the problems are many. Yet, measures to address these issues are inadequate and the organizations striving to ensure swift settlement of disputes between the young and older generations are less in number. A large number of elderly have to deal with hoarding since they find themselves having too many things or stuff that got gradually worse with time as they grew older. In most cases, this situation ends up creating problems for the grown up children who have to deal with actions or mistakes committed by their elderly parents. Today, the younger generation has no choice but to face challenges produced by their elder generation (Gail & Frost, 2006). These set problems cause younger generations to have to put up with court cases, interception of a social worker, and/or the social services. This is because, some of the hoarding problems brought about by the elder generation leads to severe issues that require the intersection of a social worker in order to ensure adherence of the set rules and regulations regarding hoarding and its consequences. Sources bring into light that, hoarding cases are rampant with elderly people who were never married, females, and living on their own (Gail & Frost, 2006). On the other side, the source associated the extensive clutter with significant impairment and interference of basic protocols of hygiene as well as posing a serious threat towards a large number of elderly people. Intense outlook into the issue made it clear that, despite the fact that many people are deploying tones of research programs on the subject of hoarding in adulthood, it is clear that the public has very little information or rather knowledge on matters surrounding problems that result from hoarding. As stated, hoarding poses a serious challenge to hygiene in other elderly people. Moreover, the problem of hoarding is a serious case that associates with cognizable instances of impairment. Besides interfering with basic instances of hygiene and bringing about significant impairment, hoarding is problematic as it poses serious physical challenges to many elderly people. Based on these problems of hoarding, families facing these challenges must be willing to take the risk of doing away with the current problems brought about by hoarding in their family as well as protecting any future cases of such issues emanating from hoarding problems. As such, they must be willing to undertake a number of procedures or strategies that consist of the following. To begin with, if the younger generation and their families are willing to abolish problems that come along with hoarding by elderly people, they must eradicate the stamp duty imposed on those downsizing. Abolishing this stamp duty will facilitate drawbacks surrounding reasons that make elderly people hoard their properties. Secondly, families facing challenges of hoarding by elderly people must seek the intervention of social services or social workers in order to change the rules of planning so that they can increase the supply of properties required by the younger generations in different countries around the world (Gail & Frost, 2006). The problems of hoarding can also end if families encountering such challenges can resolve to “nudge” stipulations or policies that comprise of things like withdrawal of a number of “universal” benefits enjoyed by people living in houses that are worth over £ 500,000. Formulating this strategy can woo support for need to end policies that see some people receive specific benefits simply because they own properties worth a certain amount of money (Gail & Frost, 2006). Given the fact that problems of hoarding bring about a number of environmental risks, designing a particular social work intervention stratagem is imperative. This social work intervention strategy must be in a position to discuss factors suitable for dismissing challenges laid upon the younger generation’s families by the elderly people. Hence, it should include strict strategies of property value tax. Additionally, it should incorporate abolition of things such as council tax concessions in cases for single occupation. In July 16 2010, Chicago Tribune reported that a particular elderly couple was found in Chicago buried in a pile of possessions mainly because they could not discard them. Details established that, very many elderly couples are victims of the same plight due to inability to sort through or discard the amount of possessions that they have. Surprisingly, part of these possessions happened to be just garbage. Currently, millions of families are facing challenges due to problems related to hoarding by the elder generation (Gail & Frost, 2006). Officials revealed that the woman in the Chicago scenario was full of rat bites and several injuries whereby the officials speculated that it could be because she fell or trapped under the garbage. Agreeably, hoarding by elderly people lead to significant impairment as the couple sustained physical injuries while trying to pull themselves out of the possessions. In conclusion, social workers assert that hoarding result to rampant cases of poor hygiene. Referring to the case of the elderly couple found under garbage in Chicago it is true to say that piling too many things considered as useless to many is unhygienic. This is because, the couple had rat bites all their bodies. If the rats were in a position to cause bites to this couple, it means that they also ate the same food, which in turn could bring about possible health effects. Cases of hoarding are common in situations where the clutter is uncontrollable (Gail & Frost, 2006). As time goes by, the problems of hoarding continue to worsen. However, analysts make it clear that if families as well as the younger generation facing these problems put the stated strategies into action, they will stand to have big chances of eradication hoarding problems. As a result, the families and the society as a whole will be able to save the time and resources used while seeking measures to deal with this problem. References Gail, S. & Frost, R. (2006). Compulsive Hoarding and Acquiring: Therapist Guide. London: Oxford University Press. Read More