The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

l l Stoufiville's Lilliln Podor is a senior who is receiving help from CHATS and its new tenancy risk reduction service to seniors program. The program helps senior citizens who are at risk . of losing their tennncy due to hoerding behaviour or cluttered ‘ving spaces. 3 CHATS helps seniors alleviate clutter in homes A sparkle lights up Lillian Fodor's kind eyes andfithgre's a smile on the senior‘s friendly face. That wasn't the case up until last week. the 67-year old Stouffville resident said with a delightful hint of French accent. a holdover from her Belgian heritage. Au oontraire. Her home of 10 years. a cozy. subsidized one-bedroom York Housing for Seniors apartment. was chock-a-block with possessions Our brutal winter felled Fodor with a string of flu infections. colds “It was getting to the point where lcouldn‘ keep up.” she said. “I didn't have the energy. Stufl accumulated. It just backed up on me me out.” The retired former Bank of Nova Scotia data control clerk explained She Was weakened and over- "l was really'scared they'd throw BY CHRIS TRADER ctraberOyrmg.com the self-imposed warehousing wasn‘t a habit or a hazard. “I made paths through the apan- ment.” she said with a self-effacing chuckle. When the building superinten- dent visited to check on wiring. he saw the piles and stacks and simply looked his tenant in the eye. The silence was deafening. "i knew. There was a sense of shame. That's when the udy head of this mess reared its head.” The superintendent assured Fodor help was available. A York Housing staffer visited and contacted Community and Home Assistance to Seniors. best known as CHATS. The call was timely. CHATS had just launched a new tenancy risk reduction service to seniors program earlier this month. The initiative provides support to low and moderate income York Region seniors at risk of losing their tenancy due to hoarding behaviour. cluttered living spaces. uncleanli- Suppon Services Network and VHA Home HealthCare. the service is funded byYork Region. 4 MORE INFORMATION Lmdnlthepl} me goal is to support up to 40 qunulmhMWnlktcumCHAISa clients (115-71365960'6MWMWG CHATS provides extreme clean~ ness and unmaintained homes. Program co-ordinator Alicia Maria Lue had a crew of three at Fodor's apartment last week “When I was assured I wouldn't be evicted and the CHATS people an'ived. it was as if a loo-pound weight was taken all my shoulders." Fodor said. “They're fabulous people. They saw my anxiety and made me feel comfortable.” The crew consulted with Fodor on what 30% and stays "They‘re very organized." she said. “They filled an entire garbage bin. I'm very pleased. “They me when I couldn‘t help myself.” Ofiéred in partnership with York CHATS provides extreme clean~ ing, minor repairs and clutter reduction to create safer living envi- ronments. advocacy regarding tenâ€" ant/landlord issues and short-term therapeutic intervention with an occupational therapist. Case management. with a spe- cialized geriatric mental health case manager for mental health issues associated with any hoarding and longer term case management to ensure connectedness to com- munity support. is also offered as For many seniors. hoarding or an extreme attachment to acquir- ing and holding on to "stufl" is becoming a serious psychiatric and community problem that is grossly undetected and untreated. CHATS CEO Christina Bisanz said. The situation puts ‘people an serious risk of losing tenancy due to dangeroust cluttered. crammed and unmaintained homes that don't meet public health standards.” she If ihe behavior is chronic. a harm reduction approach. while not perfect. is a manageable option. VHA client services vice-president Barbara Cawley said. She notes the approach focuses on clearing enough clutter and refuse out so walkways are clear and the senior reduces the risk of eviction. falls and other hazards. such as fire. With a confirmed lease on her home and a new one on her life. Fodor is buoyed. Her advice for a complex prob- lem is simple. "Don't be ashamed or she said. “Reach out. Although I should have called earlier. i feel so much better now than I did a few weeks ago. “They make you feel like you're not alone anymore."