[Photo_Girl_Jenn]

my parents are hoarders... and yes a lot of what they hoard is actually good stuff... the hoarding bugs me a little... but they also have one cat and a dog... my father has diabetes and high blood pressure and my mother has asthma and is full of arthritis all over her body and in her spine... i worry about the tripping hazards and then... the health effects of the dog poop and urine through out the house.... i have managed to get most all the animal droppings cleaned up, with the exception of their room.... they both know its not safe or healthy but choose not to clean up their mess or the animals messes... they also have a bad habbit of letting food rot in their fridge... they know its gone bad but just too lazy to clean it up... when i visit or stay with them they are much better.... but soon as i leave they go back to old ways... i dont want to be the parent to my parents... but for the past 10 years now i have had to be... please help me... i say i dont care and i wont help them... becuase it hurts to see it go back the same way it kills me inside to watch them slowly kill them selves.... and i snap and help them clean out the house all over again as they ask me... with in a month of me leaving its back to square one...

Is it possible to get a home helper or housekeeper for them? Can you create a new house rule that no pets are allowed in the bedrooms? It might be as easy as buying a dog bed and a cat bed and putting them elsewhere in the house. Have your parents been to see an MD or a T who can prescribe anti-depressants for them? It sounds like they need them.

[RomanSunburn]

My in-laws are also hoarders. Really bad ones. Like.. houses full of stuff. Plural. They also are older, 60's and 70's, with a slew of health issues. My FIL has had multiple strokes and heart attacks. My MIL was recently diagnosed with diabetes. They don't have any pets, but my husband's sister's kids (3, all under the age of 6), are constantly there. We also worry about them. When we go home, we stay with my parents because there simply isn't room for us. Even when I'm not there, my husband will still stay with my parents.

But honestly? There's not a whole lot we can do. My MIL won't let anyone throw anything away. She has to go through everything herself. She's not interested in changing, and we can't force her. We also live over 1000 miles away, so it's not like we can really have an impact.

I wish I had advice, but I don't. I just wanted you to know you're not alone. You could look into getting a home helper, like unguy suggested. I'm just not sure anything will change until they decide to change themselves, or are forced by the health department.

Sending you best wishes and lots of warm thoughts.