I just wanted to share something good that happened since caregiving is so often full of only the bad.
I was my job to clean out my dad's home (he is a borderline hoarder now living with my brother). I tried to interest estate sale liquidators or auction houses, but the stuff he hoarded was of little value and the work involved wasn't worth it to anyone to take on.
So I and my best friend, who agreed to help me, ran an ad in Craigslist under garage sales and explained the situation. I told people just to come and dig and I'd give them really good deals on anythiing they found if they would also agree to help carry things from the 2nd floor and garage to the carport.
In four days with the help of scores of newly made friends we emptied the 2nd floor and the basement and with the help of a few really dedicated new friends we had the whole house cleaned and ready to put on the market inside of another week. We also made enough money to break even after paying for my plane ticket, a 12 cubic foot dumpster, groceries for two weeks, paying my best friend (she wasn't expecting it but so deserved it) and other odd expenses and that was the goal going in.
I give a big thanks to the people who answered my Craigslist ads and came to our rescue (and hopefully got a few treasures in the bargain). My dad can now sleep better at night knowing it's all gone and his house is ready to be sold which will put him in a better financial place.
A win/win for all involved and, boy, am I glad to be back home!
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a few years later i had to clean out my moms 80 yr hoarding habit .
i never want to see useless junk again .
when i came home in aug of 2013 i lit a fire and burned my own stuff for a week . i have one skillet , a medium sized stir , a pressure canner and a baking sheet . i have one fork so if anyone ever visits ( not likely ) they might have to eat fried chicken with the coffee spoon .