Dementia Support Corner
When someone who has dementia also hoards, they may collect and save random objects which could lead to an unsafe living environment. This blog will dive into the connection regarding hoarding behaviors in people with dementia with one of Alzheimer’s San Diego’s Dementia Care Coaches and provide tips for how to approach the unique challenges you may encounter with these two overlapping issues.
Why Does Hoarding Happen for People Living with Dementia?
The relationship between hoarding and dementia has not been widely studied, but researchers have found that there is some connection between the two and that hoarding behaviors are most common in the early or mid stages of dementia. Dementia Care Coach Lisa Levan, B.S. explains that hoarding can happen due to the desire for security, lack of control, and attachment to items. Additionally, Lisa says hoarding can occur due to a person’s difficulty with decision making due to changes in the brain.
If left unattended, hoarding can lead to unsafe living conditions for the person living with dementia. Lisa says that it is important to address these concerns as soon as possible so that your loved one can live safely.
Tips for Navigating Hoarding Behavior
Although each person’s situation is unique, Lisa has some general tips on how to navigate a hoarding environment with a person living with dementia. Her tips include:
- Prioritize safety: Work to remove items that are dangerous first. For example, items near the stove or space heaters that could lead to a fire. Lisa also suggests prioritizing creating a clear walkway throughout the house to reduce the risk of falls.
- Be sensitive: Instead of judgment, approach the situation with compassion, kindness, respect, and reassurance. This includes being mindful of the words you use around your loved one living with dementia. Words like ‘hoarding’ or ‘hoarder’ can carry shame and other negative undertones that could upset the person. Instead, Lisa suggests using kinder words like ‘collector’ rather than ‘hoarder’ when speaking with the person.
- Limit the number of options: Have a bin for keep, donate, and trash to clearly direct and separate items. Try to involve the person living with dementia in organizing the items into these categories, if possible. When donating items, start with belongings that the person is less attached to. When you can, give the person control with simple choices of where to donate items and let the person know the items will help others who need them.
- Limit the number of people helping at one time: This process can be very overwhelming and Lisa suggests having no more than two people assisting with decluttering at a time. Additionally, be mindful of the decluttering session length to help avoid brain fatigue for the person living with dementia.
- Create a visual organization system: Kept items should be clearly visible when possible. Because memory is an added issue, Lisa suggests putting labels or pictures on cabinets/drawers of the items inside to help the person visualize what’s inside. Additionally, consider making a photo album of stored items for your loved one to look through.
Get Help Today: Personalized Guidance for Your Concerns
If you are living with dementia or are a caregiver for someone living with dementia in San Diego County and need help navigating the complexities of hoarding, give our Dementia Care Coaches a call today at 858.492.4400 or learn more here. You will receive personalized dementia support and guidance tailored to your unique situation. Also check out our free education classes, social activities, caregiver support groups, & more. Services are also available in Spanish.
Our “Dementia Support Corner” series is an opportunity for our Supportive Services to provide insight that can help people impacted by dementia.
By Heidi Emmenegger
RECOMMENDED: Why Should I Participate in a Dementia Caregiver Support Group?
Posted on February 23rd, 2026
