A Personal View
Hoarding and Squalor Forum
May 2012
Tony Dowson
Team Leader Environmental Compliance
Christchurch City Council
Environmental Health Officer
• Often more ‘mental health’ than ‘environmental health’
issue
• Can gain/force access – not good for rapport
• Powers also rely on Medical Officer of Health
S.126 Health Act 1956 Infirm and neglected persons
If any aged, infirm, incurable, or destitute person is found to be living
in insanitary conditions or without proper care or attention, a District
Court may, on the application of the medical officer of health, make an
order for the committal of that person to any appropriate hospital or
institution available for the reception of such persons.
Before
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Issues for Councils
• Powers to resolve - Health Act 1956
• Short-term answer
• Monitoring
• Costly & time consuming
• Council’s role – safety net
• Large complex problem – not well quantified
• Aging population
Issues - Other
• Problematic individuals – resist help
• Other issues like nutrition, medication and personal
values (shame)
• High fatality rate – Irish study
• No overall agency ‘in control’
What’s needed?
Nationally
• Local/NZ research that drives policy /lawmaking
• New models of elderly care – communal?
• Therapies to be developed
Locally
• Co-ordination between agencies/groups
• Incremental progress tailored to individual
The End
Thank you.
The views and opinions expressed in this presentation
are personal and do not represent those of Christchurch City Council.