Hampyeong County Supports 'Hoarding Disorder' Households Through Public-Private Cooperation

Sonbul-myeon, Hampyeong County recently carried out a large-scale volunteer activity to improve the living environment for elderly disabled people with hoarding disorder living alone. Photo by Hampyeong County

Hampyeong County in South Jeolla Province announced on the 23rd that Sonbul-myeon recently carried out a large-scale volunteer activity to improve the living environment for an elderly disabled person living alone with hoarding disorder. Around 30 people participated in this activity, including members of the Our Neighborhood Welfare Task Force in Sonbul-myeon, the Community Social Security Council, Sonbul Agricultural Cooperative, and village heads.

The household in question was living in unsanitary conditions, with piles of miscellaneous items and garbage both inside and outside the house due to hoarding disorder, resulting in infestations of insects and foul odors, which also affected neighbors. The individual, who had a severely bent back and struggled to tidy up on their own, strongly clung to their possessions and even refused support from the county, making improvement difficult.

In response, the county made regular visits for over a year to build rapport and contacted the individual’s children who live elsewhere, eventually persuading the individual to agree to the clean-up.

Sonbul-myeon, led by the Our Neighborhood Welfare Task Force, recruited volunteers to clean the residence and conduct safety checks to improve hygiene. They thoroughly removed about five tons of garbage and waste, creating a safe environment.

Lim Sooyoung, head of Sonbul-myeon, said, “Despite the hot weather, I am grateful to the Our Neighborhood Welfare Task Force, local residents, and all the volunteers who actively participated in the residential environment improvement project. We will continue to identify households in crisis and provide full support so that they can live in a safe environment.”