Problématiques d'accumulation chez les aînés : l'expérience de proches aidants québécois au sein des services communautaires et publics

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the situation of informal caregivers of elderly people faced with a hoarding problem (e.g., compulsive hoarding disorder, self-neglect, and Diogenes syndrome). Few studies have examined this particular context of family care, at the intersection of the realities of aging and mental health. Eleven caregivers and eight social workers from the Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches regions took part in a series of semi-structured interviews that were analyzed for their thematic content. Our results indicate that, despite interactions between the aging and mental health problems, it is the issues related to aging that trigger the start of informal caregiving and then the maintenance of this commitment over time. They also show us that concerted efforts need to be made and coordinated so that the various actors involved can plan service trajectories for the elderly and their families and friends before the hoarding problem generates major safety issues. The social and health organizations in these trajectories would benefit from recognizing the knowledge of family and friends and from providing them with the services they need to meet their specific needs.