An elderly woman’s hospitalisation led to the discovery that she had been living in a severe hoarder flat for years, after neighbours noticed a foul smell coming from her home and alerted the police.
The 75-year-old elderly woman lives alone in a HDB flat at Block 206 Yishun Street 21, reported Shin Min Daily News.
According to the elderly woman, the incident began on Nov 22 last year at about 10am, when she was knocked down by a student riding a bicycle while crossing the road near her home.
“Luckily, a nurse came to help me and called an ambulance to send me to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. I didn’t have my mobile phone with me at the time, so I couldn’t contact anyone,” she said.
She added that a few days ago, a hospital medical social worker accompanied her back to her flat to look for her phone, but they were unable to find it.
“Not long after that, someone said they could help clean up my home. I’m very grateful for that,” she said.
It is understood that when the medical social worker saw the inside of the flat after the door was opened, they were shocked by the amount of clutter. Due to concerns over the elderly woman’s health and living conditions, the social worker contacted volunteer groups to help with the cleanup.
Separately, as the elderly woman had not returned home for several days and a strong stench was coming from the unit, concerned neighbours also called the police. Officers later went to the flat to check on her situation.
Michael Sim, founder of the volunteer group AMKSS Social Move under Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, said he was contacted by a medical social worker from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, who asked if he could help clean up the elderly woman’s flat.
Sim said hospitals usually have medical social workers who will reach out when they encounter such cases.
“I’ve been contacted by hospital social workers before. This time, the condition of the flat was very bad and not suitable for her to return home to live in,” he said.
Cockroaches flying into neighbouring units
Photos from the scene show that items inside the flat were stacked almost up to the ceiling, including large numbers of plastic bags, paper bags and cardboard boxes. It is understood that the elderly woman used a bamboo pole placed in the living room to hang clothes directly over the piles of clutter, and usually slept on a foldable mattress in one corner of the flat.
On the morning of Jan 11 at about 9am, more than 50 volunteers from Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, Yishun East and Hougang Chao Ying Kong gathered to help clear the unit.
During the cleanup, large numbers of cockroaches were seen scurrying and flying out from all directions.
Town council staff arranged for about 10 large rubbish bins, while volunteers worked together to remove suitcases, plastic containers, household appliances and other items from the flat.
Sim said more than 200 cockroaches were found inside the unit, with some even clustered in a corner of the ceiling.
“Some cockroaches even flew into neighbouring flats. When neighbours saw this, they immediately shut their windows,” he added.
