Horder in the family

[longtompot]

How would you go about helping someone who is a compulsive horder?
My mum just can't let anything go as it might be worth something. She was a cleaner and two of the ladies she cleans for have immaculate houses with no clutter. Why? Because they left anything on the side they didn't want as they knew she would take it.
My dad despairs as he wants to be able to do work around the house now they are both retired, but it takes so long to clear the area that hes run out of day to start the work.
I understand her problem stems from how she grew up. Her family had nothing, were in work camps in Germany, so anything worth anything was kept. But this is beyond a joke now.
I remember when she was clearing her parents house how she despaired about the sheer amount of stuff, mainly rubbish, and how we won't have to do the same. But I fear we will.
I have tried ebaying a lot of it in the past, but she just kept getting more things for me to ebay and it was just too much so I stopped.
She does occasionally take a load to charity shops. Quite often she ends up bringing something else back.
Any ideas on how to help her?

Does she have anything that a scrap store might use. Knowing that what she donates go towards schools/youth groups etc to use for arts and crafts might help. But whatever you do don’t let her visit the scrap store- that’s a hoarders paradise. But when I’ve been in them there’s been everything from odd socks to bottle tops

It's a really really tricky one, often as complex as anorexia and ocd.

She does have stuff a scrap store could use, and we have one near us. Trouble is its near two charity warehouses! Might be dangerous

I have no real help ideas but can I just say , I completely get what you're saying.

My DMum has always been very untidy , it was one of the bugbears in our house.
If we asked her "What do you want for Christmas/Birthday/Mothers Day"? the answer was always "A tidy house"
But she would never let us throw anything out (in case it was something of hers , or something that was 'useful' ) . If I wanted rid of clothes she's say "Oh someone at the Church will take those" .
I'd come back (I worked away midweek when I was 18) and found the stuff heaped in my bedroom. So I'd say (very rudely) "Shall I just throw this in the corner 'cos that's where it will end up"
She would "rescue" anything that friends got rid of - plastic bowl, curtains, mixer . (bloody plants) . She didn't need them but she couldn't see things being thrown out.

She is getting worse. She cannot get out easily now but when she did she bought things. She had random collections but bought things fr the sake of it.
I bloody hate plants in a house because at one time every surface had plants . (I have an ivy , DD has 2 cacti but that's IT )

She puts things in boxes or baskets or those tubs that washing degergent comes in. She takes clothes apart and doesn't re sew.

Every time I go there I throw out things but it is difficult , these are her things . I know she's influenced by her childhood ( post war rationing) but she won't throw anything out. It is a painful experience for her. But I keep reminding her that having to work round clutter is dangerous.

I cleared her room last time. I know for a fact it will be just as bad again.

I know my DDad is relieved when I do this but I think he goes along with her to keep the peace , but we've had years of it.

There is no answer .

I'm sure there are lots of us offspring with parents the same sadly. Does yours act, well, triumphant if something they have found gets a use?