how many of our clients are chronically disorganized?...buried in treasures: help for compulsive...

How Many of Your Clients are Chronically Disorganized?

©2019 Vickie Dellaquila

How Many of Our Clients

Are Chronically Disorganized?Presented by

Vickie Dellaquila CPO®CPO-CD®

Master Trainer

Organization Rules®, Inc.

Agenda

What is Chronic Disorganization? (CD)

Possible causes of CD

What is hoarding ?

How are CD and hoarding different?

Situational CD

Strategies for working with CD clients

Education and Research

How Many of Your Clients are Chronically Disorganized? ©2019 Vickie Dellaquila



Your great work with the client!


What happened?




Chronic Disorganization

Disorganization that has been present for a long time indicating a chronic condition

The disorganization significantly impacts life on a daily basis, affecting the quality of life

There is a history of failed self-help attempts, leading to discouragement

There is a future expectation of continued disorganization, often resulting in lack of hope

Source: www.challengingdisorganization.org





Factors contributing to CD

Brain based illnesses-ADHD, Traumatic Brain

Injury, Depression, Hoarding Disorder and

more

Physical Illnesses such Parkinson's disease,

Multiple scoliosis, Fibromyalgia

Aging related issues

Comorbidities


Executive Function

A set of high-level cognitive functions that involves ,but is not limited to planning, organizing, activating, and regulating thoughts and behaviors

Source: Kate Varness

ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization

Page 25-26




Executive Function

Paying attention

Organizing, planning and prioritizing

Starting tasks and staying focused on them to completion

Understanding different points of view.

Regulating emotions

Self-monitoring (keeping track of what you're doing)


Situational Disorganization

Shorter period of time and can be resolved for who are only situational disorganized.

Life changes-having a baby, job loss, moving, divorce, death of a loved one, and illness




Hoarding

The acquisition of, and failure to discard, a large number of possessions that appear to be of useless or of limited value

Living spaces sufficiently cluttered so as to preclude activities for which those spaces were designed

Significant distress or impairment in functioning caused by the hoarding

(Dr. Randy Frost)


Is this Hoarding or CD?




Difference between CD and Hoarding

Hoarding Disorder is a medical diagnosis and

is listed in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical

Manual)

Chronic Disorganization is not a medical

diagnosis

Hoarding much more difficult to help, but you

can help people with hoarding disorder


AssessmentWhat does organization look

like to your client?

Realistic goals




Readiness to change

Motivation

Not one way works for everyone

Clutter Hoarding Scale

Clutter Quality of Life scale ICD

Collaborative therapy with Therapist

AccountabilityHow Many of Your Clients are Chronically Disorganized? ©2019 Vickie Dellaquila

Beliefs that get in your client’s way

Limiting beliefs

“I can’t do this”, “What's the point?”

Labeling themselves- sloppy, lazy

Limited support from family and friends

Backsliding




Strategies for Working with CD clients

Communication with client and possible family or therapist

Must be involved in the process

Shorter sessions

Physical and Brain Breaks

Baby steps

Encouragement


Strategies for CD clients

May take medications that cause them to become tired and distracted

Mobility issues-walker, wheelchair

Blind or deaf




What type of Modality?

How does the client learn?

Is the client visual, tactile, auditory, kinesthetic, verbal, emotional, cognitive, taste/smell, intuitive (9 modalities) source-Denslow Brown


Strategies for working CD clients

Body doubling

Small goal list to work on for the next session

sticky photo of 3 goals

Collaborative therapy with Therapist




Strategies to keep the client motivated

Reward yourself

Before and after

photos

Life events

Remind them of goals

achieved


Tools working with CD

Time timer!

Digital and/or Paper

Apps

Planner Pad

Music or TV or Quiet

Judith’s strategies

Hula hoop




Denise CD Case Studies

Physical and mental health

Type 1 Diabetes

Depression

Anxiety

Shared about being in therapy

Trust issues

Afraid of being Judged


Denise

Online shopping

Deceased relative

items

Ignored bills

Did not want to deal

with her diabetes




One Result


Mail out of the mailbox

Mail to the floor

Mail to the table

Mail to box

Mail sorted

Denise

Large kitchen drawer used for diabetic

supplies and worked with her to put them

when they arrived in the mail

Body doubling

Muttering game

Maintenance




Kathy Case Study of CD Client

Grad school and working full time

No family support in the area

Parents deceased

Weight issues

Late on bill paying

Avid recycler


Kathy

Paper and sentimental stuff

Lost weight and gained

back




Kathy’s Results

Recycling –put by the outgoing door, car

Discussed shopping and acquisitions

Virtual organizing-a plan and accountably

Balance

Learned not to judge self

Rewards


Institute for Challenging

Disorganization (ICD)

Education on issues for professional organizers

that affect clients from ADHD to hoarding

disorder to chronic fatigue syndrome and how to

help them

Other professionals can also benefit from classes

Classes taught by PO, therapists, social workers,

psychologists, nurses, Phd researchers and

educators and moreHow Many of Your Clients are Chronically Disorganized? ©2019 Vickie Dellaquila



Research in the world of CD

Many universities are researching in the world of CD issues such as hoarding, ADHD, and more

Clutter Quality of Life Scale (CQLS)- Catherine Roster, Ph.D., Associate Professor at University of New Mexico and Dr. Joseph Ferrari

Some research is listed on the ICD website as is the CQLS and the ICD Clutter Hoarding Scale


Conclusion

I hope you have a better understanding of

Chronic Disorganization

Recognize that you may or may not want to

work with a CD client

Refer them to someone in ICD

If you are interested in working with these

types of clients-check out ICD!




Any Questions?


Contact

Vickie Dellaquila, CPO®, CPO-CD®, Master

Trainer

[email protected]

www.OrganizationRules.com

Pittsburgh, PA

412-913-0554




Resources

instituteforchallengingdisorganization.org

chadd.org

www.OCD.org

www.ChildrenofHoarders.org


Resources

The ®2011Clutter-Hoarding Scale (CHS) written by Kristin Bergfield, Sheila Delson, CPO-CD®, Randi Lymand, CPO-CD®, Lynn Mino, CPO-CD®, and Heidi Shulz, CPO-CD®.

the Clutter Quality of Life (CQLS) scale, developed

by Dr. Roster, in collaboration with ICD.CatherineRoster, Ph.D., Associate Professor at University of New Mexico and Dr. Joseph Ferrari, Distinguished Professor at DePaul University




Book Resources

Tolin, D. F., Frost, R.O. & Steketee, G. (2007) Buried in treasures: Help for Compulsive acquiring, saving, and hoarding. New York: Oxford University Press.

Brown, Denslow,(2010) The Processing Modalities Guide: Identify and Use Specific Strengths for Better Functioning. Drury, MO: Hickory Guild Press.


Book Resources

Kolberg, Judith (2009) What Every Professional Organizer needs to Know about Chronic Disorganization, Decatur, Georgia, Squall Press.

Varness, Kate, ed. (2012) The ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization for Professional Organizers, St. Louis, MO, The Institute for Challenging Disorganization.

Benson PhD, April (2008) To Buy OR Not To Buy-Why We Overshop and How to Stop, Boston, MA, Trumpeter Books




Vickie’s Bio

Vickie Dellaquila is a Certified Professional Organizer® , Certified Professional Organizer in

Chronic Disorganization, Master Trainer and the owner of Organization Rules®, Inc. Her

company specializes in residential organizing, working with the chronically disorganized and

people who hoard, senior downsizing and relocation services. With her background in

nursing and social services her company assists clients through the process of de-cluttering,

organizing, downsizing, and relocation.

Member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, National Association of

Senior Move Managers, and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. She holds many

certifications through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization.

Organization Rules®, Inc. has been featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh

Tribune, The Costco Connection, USA Today, KDKA TV, radio shows, and others. Vickie has

been a featured professional organizer on TLC’s Hoarding Buried!

The author of Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash-A Step by Step Guide to Helping Seniors

Downsize, Organize, and Move and the Moving Workbook, recently rated as one of the top

100 best books on Aging on Amazon!


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