The idea of being near piles of rubbish may make most feel uncomfortable and unfortunately, that’s what some residents of Block 135 Yishun Street 11 have to deal with.
Recently, a woman in her 80s hung plastic bags filled with aluminium cans and plastic bottles on a tree in front of the HDB block. The surrounding area also had potted plants surrounding the tree are littered with paper bags, reported Shin Min Daily News.
It isn’t the first time she’s done something like this either.
For over a decade, the elderly woman living on the ground floor unit has hoarded items such as cardboard boxes and plastic products and placed them outside her flat.
One neighbour told the Chinese evening daily that the elderly woman’s belongings have spread to other residents’ flats
“The corner unit is currently unoccupied, so she piles cardboard boxes there. Sometimes, the items reach the space in front of my flat. We are very worried that mice will nest here, we’ve seen several in our house already,” she lamented.
According to her, the elderly woman did not heed repeated advice to stop collecting items. Even her son’s words fell upon deaf ears.
The town council cleared the items left outside the woman’s flat on July 6. PHOTO: Nee Soon Town Council
Another neighbour who moved into eight years ago shared that the issue has persisted over the years.
“We are used to it,” the 18-year-old said, adding that even if the rubbish is cleaned up, it will resurface again in two to three days.
Stomp also reported that the cluttered corridor outside the elderly woman’s flat had been cleaned up five times in 2020 alone, but the issue still continued.
Nee Soon Town Council is aware of the situation and told Shin Min that it will work closely with the residents’ committees to provide assistance to the affected families.
The authorities also make frequent visits to inspect and help with the removal of rubbish in front of the woman’s unit. The most recent session was on July 6.
They also advised residents to avoid putting personal items in public areas as it is a potential fire hazard.
Such cases of hoarding have also proven to be hazardous. Earlier in March this year, residents of an HDB block at King George’s Avenue were horrified to discover cockroaches scurrying out from one of the flats belonging to a hoarder.
Hoarding is a condition that may appear when a person gets older. Usually, seniors display such behaviour when they feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty ahead with ageing. Therefore, they keep items they deem useful or to have potential future use in excess.
It could also be a way for them to keep memories with them as some elderly fear losing their memories if a tangible item gets thrown out.
This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.