Hoarder Help

How do you help someone that has a severe illness?  No not medical that you run them up to the Doc Shop.  But instead one that is not easily fixed or overcome.  You see I know (and love) a hoarder.  Yes, you see the shows on TV but do you come across it in your day to day life?  Now let me first say that there are not any bugs in the home.  They are meticulous about cleaning the items that they save.  But I do not think this is something at their late age that can be overcome.  So the question then is do you allow it to be as it is?

Here are some photos to show you what I mean.

Yes, those are boxes staked up to the ceiling.  Full of nothing really important to most of us but seems to be to them.  There is a portion of the chair to the bottom left of the photo where they sit to read.

This was once a living room.  Now it is nothing more than a hallway.  Everything is kept that is not 'waste'.  You will see empty cat food bags that have been cleaned out, dried, flatten and bundled on the lower left side of the walkway.  (Look for yellow.)  See how the stack goes up as high as the doorway?

These bags contain empty aluminum cans.  This person does not have a car or a way to recycle what they have.  Yet feel like they are 'doing their part' by keeping these item in hopes to one day be able to recycle them.  Now let me intercede that at the same time they are not willing to let any of this go to a center for there is not enough to make a trip worthwhile to them.

This is a small room that is used as a closet.  Clothes take up a good portion of this room to the right.  All on hangers and clean.  Yet still overflowing.  This is just a sample of rooms and others are some I did not feel like I should show.  

Honestly I don't think I can help.  Maybe just being there for them is what is needed most?