HEATH
In collaboration with frontline service providers from a range of disciplines, we created the Home Environment Assessment Tool for Hoarding (HEATH ©) to assess the most important health and safety risks in hoarded homes. Risk assessment in hoarding can be complicated. Different service providers often have different priorities when working in the home, as well as different understandings of what risk means. With this in mind, the Centre worked with community partners such as fire inspectors, social workers, and housing providers to create the HEATH. This universal tool is designed for professionals working with hoarding in any discipline or area of community practice.
For more information about how the HEATH was created, see our journey map.
The HEATH measures 5 domains:
Safe Pathways
Fire Safety
Structural Integrity
Health and Wellness
Sanitation
Each domain includes assessment or inspection items handpicked by providers for their importance in home safety (e.g., “hallways clear for safe passage”). The HEATH is designed to assess only the most important health and safety risks in the home, to help people who have problems with severe clutter to meet most fire and building codes and be safe in their home. The HEATH also allows for the tracking of progress over time as the resident works toward a safer environment. After all the items in a domain are assessed, the provider assigns a risk level – from low to high risk. This helps providers set goals, and track progress in targeted risk areas.
Learn how to use or download the HEATH
Benefits
- Designed to be used by anyone entering a hoarded environment (housing inspectors, fire prevention, service providers, therapists, support workers, etc.)
- Allows the tracking of progress over time
- Facilitates clear communication with the client and with professionals about health and safety concerns
- Developed and field-tested in collaboration between researchers and a diverse team of service providers
- Assesses only areas that are essential for safety and well-being
- Free of charge!
Learn how to use or download the HEATH
This journey map explains the steps we took in collaboration with consultants and community partners to develop a tool that would be reliable, valid, and feasible for service providers to use in hoarded homes.
Terms of Use
© 2024. The HEATH has a CC BY-ND license.
It may be downloaded, copied, or shared for free, as long as no changes are made to the assessment. The HEATH is licensed for commercial use and is available for download below.
Download the HEATH
Digital use of the HEATH is best used with Adobe Acrobat Reader, free at acrobat.adobe.com.