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

    11th February to 26th 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)