Hospital hoarders and pack rats

[DesiDani]

I work in a hospital and we will get patients who like to hoard things. They get upset if thou dare remove their property (usually hospital stuff).

So how do you deal with them and get them agree to clutter a bit.

Finally, what was the worst patient pack rat seen?

[amoLucia]

Always hated the food hoarders stuff the worst. Over-ripe bananas, rotting hard boiled eggs, sour milk (opened) and those butter pats all melted all-over the drawer.

[smf0903]

Always hated the food hoarders stuff the worst. Over-ripe bananas, rotting hard boiled eggs, sour milk (opened) and those butter pats all melted all-over the drawer.

And cup after cup of liquified sherbet

[dishes, BSN, RN]

I would tell food hoarders that spoiled food must be thrown out, because it attracts flies and cockroaches and causes infection control issues.

[amoLucia]

I would tell food hoarders that spoiled food must be thrown out, because it attracts flies and cockroaches and causes infection control issues.

Yeah, you can tell them and MAYBE, they'll toss the stuff. But they'll start up right again.

There's SOMETHING about food hoarders (ellipsis). Not the same with pack-ratters.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I suspect some of them don't have enough food (or toiletries, or sheets and towels) at home, or at some period in their lives, they haven't had enough. They're used to stockpiling whatever they can get.

Interestingly, this habit is common in elders who went through the depression. Many very elderly, who were short of everything back then, keep everything now...just in case they might need it.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

I agree that the food hoarding may be due to having experienced food insecurity in the past and patients can keep unspoiled food in the unit fridge, but if it is spoiled it has to be tossed, the one patient's right to their dysfunctional behaviour doesn't override the of the other patients' right to a clean environment.

[sara567]

I tend to understand. I have spent a lot of time in hospitals and I would probably be considered a "food hoarder" when I am a patient. The issue is, I usually am not hungry when the food comes. I save my banana, cereal, whatever for when I am. Then lunch comes, and now I have 2 juices, a banana and cereal. I never eat them.

Personally, I get rid of it by the next day, but that is the reason. I try and inform my patients that we can always get them food if they want, and this does lessen the number and amount of hoarding, at least it normally works.

[Extra Pickles]

Tea bags, I just had a patient who saves every tea bag from her tray plus asks any and all staff for tea bags. I asked her if she wanted a cup of tea but she said no, she'd rather take the bag now and then when she's ready she'll ask for a cup of hot water. Ok, weird I thought but I brought her a tea bag. I later found out she had probably fifty of them stuffed into the nightstand drawer! No one said they ever saw her drinking tea lol, she just wanted the bags! Easier to just give her a bag than ask more questions LOL. I think she'll have a hundred by the time she leaves!

[amoLucia]

I was thinking the same thing as Whispera after I posted. My pts were LTC. I tend to think there must have been some deprivation

I see similar behavior in regular folk at home who tend to stock pile quantities or they buy the biggest, most ginourmous size box of some item. And it seems to run in families - like some genetic thread. My Mom and her sibs all had some variation.

Gives me some reason to worry as I seem to be fascinated by those Hoarders TV shows.

But back to OP's post, there's a difference between a hoarder/pack rat and those that just take things for the fun/thrill/

[DoGoodThenGo]

I suspect some of them don't have enough food (or toiletries, or sheets and towels) at home, or at some period in their lives, they haven't had enough. They're used to stockpiling whatever they can get.

Interestingly, this habit is common in elders who went through the depression. Many very elderly, who were short of everything back then, keep everything now...just in case they might need it.

Yes, while those who lived through the GD or equally hard times are your usual hoarders it can happen to anyone who has experienced any sort of deprivation to some extent.

Friends and even some family members have grown up with that now as grown adults are doing very well. Yet you go to their homes and it looks like a cross between Walmart and a charity shop. Stuff everywhere often in multiples. Eight bottles of shampoo, ten boxes of sanitary pads, twelve bottles of foundation, nine boxes of laundry detergent, etc.. You move on and there is *another* six bottles of shampoo, eight more boxes of laundry detergent.... and so it goes.

As one who likes to do estate and garage sales have a soft spot for such people. *LOL*

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

We had a patient for Eastern Europe who hoarded. He was a long termer, so we got used to his hoarding. The only problem is that he would hoard things like eggs (raw), sausages (dry), his Norco (we found a stash of half chewed Norcos. Around 20 of them). His room always smelled, horrible. And it was worse when we had to clean him up. He had a girlfriend (also from Eastern Europe) who would bring him his food.

He was a very sweet man, and he would always offer to share his food but sorry, I prefer my eggs cooked. He also had a lot of candy (from Eastern Europe) and some of that stuff was weird sounding. How about lobster flavored candy? Bertie Botts every flavor beans had more appeal.

When we finally placed him, they had to fumigate his room. It was awful.