National Association for Senior Move Managers
2011 Conference in St. Pete Beach, Florida

Have you ever watched the TV show Hoarders. Matt Paxton and his company Clutter Cleaner is often featured on the show because he is an expert in understanding their addiction and mental illness.
We got to hear his story of growing his business and learned why he is so good with clearing out some homes that have been filled by hoarders. His staff of young men adds fun and humor to help the hoarder get through this traumatic process without overlooking the importance of compassion and patience. We also learned that his next season will have selected less sever cases of hoarders, so it will be much easier to watch since they will not show abused animals and such critical living conditions as they have in the past seasons.
As a senior move manager, I work every day with all levels of hoarding. It's most common to find large supplies of dried up rubber bands, plastic bags that had to be saved, soaps and small bottles of bathroom products taken from hotels, old large manila envelopes, pens and pencils , expired cans of food and so many items that just couldn't be tossed away. We have to accept that our parents could fall into any level of hoarding since they may have lived through the depression, or were taught the hoarding habits from someone who did.
Don't be ashamed that you find yourself hoarding at any level, learning from our parents. Today we just have to have all that stuff around us to express our own interests and who we are. Be patient with your parents and realize that they attach a story from their past to all the items they have saved. This is their way of remembering.