Should you intervene in the life of the 48-year-old woman whose dwelling is stuffed with accumulated rubbish and who will not let anyone help get rid of it – or the 78-year-old surrounded by putrescent food and filth – or the 'animal accumulator'? Cases of severe domestic squalor (sometimes called Diogenes Syndrome) are among the most complex and difficult faced by community agencies. Local councils, housing officers, health professionals, social services, animal welfare agencies, public guardians and of course relatives and neighbours often feel powerless and lack confidence about what to do when faced with such situations. The guidelines, recommendations and case examples in Severe Domestic Squalor will help concerned people to understand what can be done and how, by providing an understanding of the causative factors and who should take the lead in dealing with them.

This is the first book to comprehensively consider reasons why some people live in squalor and how best to intervene.

Hoarding involves the acquisition of and inability to discard large numbers of possessions that clutter the living area of the person collecting them. It becomes a disorder when the behavior causes significant distress or interferes with functioning. Hoarding can interfere with activities of daily living (such as being able to sit in chairs or sleep in a bed), work efficiency, family relationships, as well as health and safety. Hoarding behavior can range from mild to life-threatening. Epidemiological findings suggest that hoarding occurs in 2-6% of the adult population, making it two to three times more common than obsessive-compulsive disorder. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) now includes Hoarding Disorder as a distinct disorder within the OCD and Related Anxiety Disorders section, creating a demand for information about it. The Oxford Handbook of Hoarding and Acquiring is the first volume to detail the empirical research on hoarding. Including contributions from all of the leading researchers in the field, this comprehensive volume is divided into four sections in addition to introductory and concluding chapters by the editors: Phenomenology, Epidemiology, and Diagnosis; Etiology; Assessment and Intervention; and Hoarding in Special Populations. The summaries of research and clinical interventions contained here clarify the emotional and behavioral features, diagnostic challenges, and nature of the treatment interventions for this new disorder. This handbook will be a critical resource for both practitioners and researchers, including psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, epidemiologists, social workers, occupational therapists, and other health and mental health professionals who encounter clients with hoarding problems in their practice and research.

How to take back your life when your things are taking over. Why does Cliff, a successful lawyer who regularly wins landmark cases, step over two-foot piles of paper whenever he opens his front door? Why do Joan and Paul ask Children's Services to take their three children instead of decluttering their home? Why does Lucinda feel intense pressure to hold onto her family's heirlooms even though she has no room for them? They have hoarding disorder, which an estimated 2% to 6% of the adult population worldwide experience. Conquer the Clutter offers hope to anyone affected by hoarding. Real-life vignettes, combined with easy-to-use assessment and intervention tools, support those who hoard—and those who care about them. Written by Elaine Birchall, a social worker dedicated to helping people declutter and achieve long-term control over their belongings, the book • provides an overview of hoarding, defining what it is—and is not • explains the difference between clutter and hoarding • describes different types of hoarding in detail, including impulse shopping, "closet" hoarding, and animal hoarding • debunks myths about hoarding and hoarders • explores the effects that hoarding has on relationships, on work, and on physical and financial health • presents a practical, step-by-step plan of action for decluttering • contains dedicated advice from individuals who have successfully overcome their hoarding disorder The most comprehensive work about hoarding on the market, Conquer the Clutter discusses special populations who are not often singled out, such as the disabled and the elderly, and includes numerous worksheets to assist individuals in determining the scope of their hoarding disorder and tackling the problem. Over 40 pages of additional resources are available online at jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/conquer-clutter.

An unequalled compendium of cutting-edge information on self neglect This authoritative resource in provides nurses and healthcare professionals with a comprehensive overview and analysis of self-neglect in older adults. With an aging global population, self-neglect is emerging as a complex problem that crosses multiple disciplines of health and social care. Characterized by a harmful inattention to health and hygiene, self-neglect manifests in a variety of ways across the world that healthcare professionals need to be able to recognize and manage. The only text with the latest analysis of theoretical perspectives, research, and evidence from global leaders in the field, chapters tackle the interdisciplinary problem of self-neglect to deliver current professional practice tools and clinical practice interventions. Replete with case studies that examine the ethical, legal, and medical issues of self-neglect, the content is immediately applicable to researchers and clinicians. An extensive list of contributors from the U.S., Ireland, England, Scotland, Australia, Israel, Canada, and Korea include respected researchers, practitioners, and academics from multiple health and social care disciplines along with health and social care services who have played a critical role in advancing research, public awareness, and policy on self-neglect. Key Features: Delivers multi-faceted, cutting-edge information on self-neglect in older adults for nurses and related healthcare professionals Addresses theory, research, evidence, assessment and measurement, and clinical practice interventions Includes practical applications, case studies, and illustrations in each chapter Authored by an international panel of authoritative leaders in gerontology Provides debate and discussion on self-neglect that will promote further enquiry and research

“A concise and powerful account of how the great recession happened and what should be done to avoid another one . . . well-argued and consistently informative.” —Wall Street Journal The Great American Recession of 2007-2009 resulted in the loss of eight million jobs and the loss of four million homes to foreclosures. Is it a coincidence that the United States witnessed a dramatic rise in household debt in the years before the recession—that the total amount of debt for American households doubled between 2000 and 2007 to $14 trillion? Definitely not. Armed with clear and powerful evidence, Atif Mian and Amir Sufi reveal in House of Debt how the Great Recession and Great Depression, as well as less dramatic periods of economic malaise, were caused by a large run-up in household debt followed by a significantly large drop in household spending. Though the banking crisis captured the public’s attention, Mian and Sufi argue strongly with actual data that current policy is too heavily biased toward protecting banks and creditors. Increasing the flow of credit, they show, is disastrously counterproductive when the fundamental problem is too much debt. As their research shows, excessive household debt leads to foreclosures, causing individuals to spend less and save more. Less spending means less demand for goods, followed by declines in production and huge job losses. How do we end such a cycle? With a direct attack on debt, say Mian and Sufi. We can be rid of painful bubble-and-bust episodes only if the financial system moves away from its reliance on inflexible debt contracts. As an example, they propose new mortgage contracts that are built on the principle of risk-sharing, a concept that would have prevented the housing bubble from emerging in the first place. Thoroughly grounded in compelling economic evidence, House of Debt offers convincing answers to some of the most important questions facing today’s economy: Why do severe recessions happen? Could we have prevented the Great Recession and its consequences? And what actions are needed to prevent such crises going forward?

At least 5.6 million to 8 million-nearly one in five-older adults in America have one or more mental health and substance use conditions, which present unique challenges for their care. With the number of adults age 65 and older projected to soar from 40.3 million in 2010 to 72.1 million by 2030, the aging of America holds profound consequences for the nation. For decades, policymakers have been warned that the nation's health care workforce is ill-equipped to care for a rapidly growing and increasingly diverse population. In the specific disciplines of mental health and substance use, there have been similar warnings about serious workforce shortages, insufficient workforce diversity, and lack of basic competence and core knowledge in key areas. Following its 2008 report highlighting the urgency of expanding and strengthening the geriatric health care workforce, the IOM was asked by the Department of Health and Human Services to undertake a complementary study on the geriatric mental health and substance use workforce. The Mental Health and Substance Use Workforce for Older Adults: In Whose Hands? assesses the needs of this population and the workforce that serves it. The breadth and magnitude of inadequate workforce training and personnel shortages have grown to such proportions, says the committee, that no single approach, nor a few isolated changes in disparate federal agencies or programs, can adequately address the issue. Overcoming these challenges will require focused and coordinated action by all.