Can a worried relative call you?

They can call, and we will answer their questions gladly. But we will not act on their request alone if they have no standing to instruct us. We will point them to the deputy, the curateur, or — where no order yet exists — to the local social services.

Can the person refuse part of the sorting?

Yes, and it happens often. We stop at that point and come back to it later, or not at all. A declutter achieved against someone’s will does not last: the home fills up again within months.

How many visits should we plan for?

It depends entirely on the person. We have completed some in three visits and others over two months. The schedule is agreed with the deputy and revised as we go; it is never imposed on the person.

The corner of an empty room: window light draws pale quadrilaterals across a grey wall and the floor.

SITUATION

Legal protection orders

When the person concerned is under a French curatelle or tutelle, everything changes: the person giving instructions is not the occupant, the aim is almost never to empty the place, and the pace is not ours to set. This work takes longer than an ordinary clearance, and that is as it should be.

Who instructs, and what follows from it

The instruction comes from the court-appointed deputy (mandataire judiciaire à la protection des majeurs), or from the family curateur or tuteur, depending on the order in force. We ask for the court decision and a letter setting out the scope. The protected person takes part in the decision as far as they are able: they are not an obstacle to work around, they are the person the work is for.

Keeping someone at home is not emptying the flat

In most cases the aim is that the person stays where they are. So the point is not to remove as much as possible in a day, but to make the home safe and liveable again: clearing the routes through it, getting back to the bathroom and the kitchen, treating what needs treating. Sorting is done with the person, in stages, over several short visits rather than one large intervention.

We never approach anyone unasked

We never contact a protected person on our own initiative — not by telephone, not at the door, not through anyone acting for us. Approaching an isolated elderly person about clearing their home is, where their judgement is impaired, an abuse of weakness under French law. If someone presents themselves saying they are from us, they are not, and it should be reported.

What you will need

The court decision establishing the protection order
A letter from the deputy, curateur or tuteur setting out the work
Proof of identity of the person giving instructions
Where applicable, the landlord’s agreement for access to communal parts

We never act on the request of a neighbour or relative with no standing. That protects the person concerned.

A completely empty, cleaned living room, pale walls, parquet, a line of open doors through to the hallway.

Questions specific to this situation

Can a worried relative call you?
They can call, and we will answer their questions gladly. But we will not act on their request alone if they have no standing to instruct us. We will point them to the deputy, the curateur, or — where no order yet exists — to the local social services.
Can the person refuse part of the sorting?
Yes, and it happens often. We stop at that point and come back to it later, or not at all. A declutter achieved against someone’s will does not last: the home fills up again within months.
How many visits should we plan for?
It depends entirely on the person. We have completed some in three visits and others over two months. The schedule is agreed with the deputy and revised as we go; it is never imposed on the person.

The other situations

Write to us, even if you are not sure.

You do not need to have gathered every document before calling. We will tell you what is missing, and neither the visit nor the quote commits you to anything.

Write to us 04 00 00 00 00

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