A column for seniors and those who love them

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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. - William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5.

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Hoarding, the dictionary tells us, is the excessive collection and retention of things or animals until they interfere with day-to-day functions such as home, health, family, work and social life. Severe hoarding causes safety and health hazards. Hoarding has now been recognized as a personality or mental disorder.

My first introduction to hoarding was when a client came in whose house had been cited by the county and the...