Self Neglect
There is no one definition of self-neglect, but the term is used to cover a wide range of behaviour of a person neglecting their own health, personal hygiene or their surroundings and includes behaviour such as hoarding.
The type of behaviour that are considered to be self-neglecting include;
- lack of self-care and not attending to personal hygiene, nutrition and hydration, or health needs, to an extent that it may endanger their safety or wellbeing
- lack of care of environment and living in situations that could lead to domestic squalor or elevated levels of risk in the domestic environment (for example, health or fire risks caused by hoarding)
- refusal of assistance that might alleviate these issues. This might include, for example, refusal of care services in either their home or a care environment or of health assessments or interventions, even if previously agreed, which could potentially improve self-care or care of one’s environment
There are various reasons why people self-neglect. Some people have insight into their behaviour, while others do not. It can occur as a result of mental health issues, personality disorders, substance abuse, dementia, advancing age, social isolation, and cognitive impairment or through personal choice. It can be triggered by trauma and significant life events. Self-neglect is an issue that affects people from all backgrounds.
What to do about self neglect
A short animation originally produced and developed by North East ADASS, to raise the public awareness of self-neglect and what can be done to help those experiencing it.