Geauga County officials say hoarding conditions have been found at an estimated 25 fires over five years, creating blocked exits, access problems and contamination risks for first responders

By Molly Walsh
cleveland.com

CHARDON, Ohio — Geauga County officials are trying to figure out how to respond to an increasing number of severe hoarding cases.

Chardon Fire Chief Justin Geiss told county health officials Aug. 13 that about 25 of the roughly 110 fires reported in Geauga County over the past five years involved hoarding conditions.

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The numbers are estimates because hoarding was not previously a searchable category in the fire department’s records. The department now tracks it.

The discussion came during a special meeting of the Geauga County Health District Advisory Council and Geauga Public Health Board. Officials from public health, aging services, Job and Family Services, fire departments and local governments discussed how to address the problem while balancing public safety with residents’ property rights.

In cases involving serious health or safety threats, officials discussed an approach that would emphasize voluntary help and social services before turning to enforcement.

The issue is more complicated than simply cleaning up a messy home.

Geauga Public Health Environmental Health Director Dan Lark said his department has encountered several homes with extreme clutter, narrow paths through belongings and animal waste.

Jessica Bolt, director of the Geauga County Department on Aging, said hoarding disorder is a behavioral health condition, not simply poor housekeeping.

“I want to be clear that it is not laziness,” Bolt said. “It’s not poor housekeeping. It’s not collecting things, not being disorganized. It is actual behavioral health condition that requires long-term treatment.”

Cleanup alone often does not solve the problem, officials said. Residents may need behavioral health treatment, family support, and continued follow-up to prevent the conditions from returning.

The consequences can be dangerous.

Geiss said firefighters have encountered homes where combustible materials were piled around space heaters, belongings were stacked on or around stoves and exits were blocked.

He described a recent fatal fire involving hoarding conditions in which a pet apparently turned on a stove that had items piled on it.

Hoarding also can make it difficult for firefighters and emergency medical crews to reach people inside homes. The Department on Aging reported cases in which EMS crews struggled to enter homes and welfare checks uncovered hazardous conditions. Some homes ultimately had to be condemned.

First responders can face additional risks from bedbugs and other contamination, Geiss said. Emergency vehicles sometimes must be removed from service and cleaned after calls.

But officials stressed that dangerous conditions alone do not give the government unlimited authority to intervene.

“Government should not step in simply because we disapprove of someone’s choices or the condition of their property,” Commissioner Carolyn Brakey said.

Health Commissioner Adam Litke said officials are looking at ways to establish limits on the health department’s authority rather than expand it.

Geauga County does not have a comprehensive countywide housing code. Lark said Lake and Summit counties have more extensive housing codes, while Lorain and Medina counties generally take a more limited approach to housing complaints.

Officials also said the problem disproportionately affects older residents.

An official with Job and Family Services estimated that 90% to 95% of the agency’s hoarding cases involve seniors. Many are longtime homeowners who want to remain in their homes but have become physically or cognitively unable to maintain them.

The cost of cleaning the homes can add another obstacle.

Officials said some low-income seniors can receive cleanup assistance, but severe cleanups can cost about $3,000 to $4,000 and as much as $15,000 or more. The county uses a cleanup company for some of its most serious cases and needs the service several times a year.

Officials also discussed whether dangerous homes should be flagged in the county’s emergency dispatch system so police, firefighters and EMS crews would receive a warning before entering.

The system can flag addresses, officials said, but the proposal raises privacy and confidentiality concerns. Officials questioned whether such information could become a public record or stigmatize residents. Officials with the aging department and Job and Family Services said they may be prohibited from sharing information about clients without permission.

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