Lake County resources

The cleanup is one part. These are the county and state contacts that handle the rest — safety, support, and where things can legally go. Verify hours before you call; these change.

Safety and protective services

• Illinois Adult Protective Services — 24-hour hotline for adults 60+ or with disabilities who are unsafe at home: 1-866-800-1409. Reports can be anonymous.
• Illinois Department on Aging Senior HelpLine — 1-800-252-8966. Entry point for the Community Care Program and local Area Agency on Aging services.
• Lake County Health Department — environmental health handles complaints about conditions that affect neighbors; behavioral health services for residents. lakecountyil.gov/health.
• Emergency — if someone is in immediate danger, 911.

Mental-health support

• NAMI Lake County — family support groups and education; hoarding disorder is within their scope. namilakecountyil.org.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, 24 hours.
• Lake County Health Department Behavioral Health — outpatient services on a sliding scale.
• Children of Hoarders — online peer community for adult children (childrenofhoarders.com).
• International OCD Foundation — Hoarding — therapist directory and treatment information (hoarding.iocdf.org).

Information and referral

• 211 Lake County — dial 211 for housing, senior, food and mental-health referrals across the county.
• Township offices — most Lake County townships run senior-services or general-assistance programs. Find yours by address on the county site.

Animals

• Lake County Animal Care & Control — the county agency for animal hoarding situations, strays and welfare complaints. Some municipalities (Waukegan, for example) have their own animal control.
• Local rescues and the humane society — for rehoming when animal control isn't required.

Disposal

• SWALCO (Solid Waste Agency of Lake County) — household hazardous waste, electronics, medication and sharps collection. Paint, chemicals, fuel and electronics from a cleanout cannot go in the dumpster; SWALCO is where they go. swalco.org.
• Landfills — Countryside Landfill (Grayslake) and Zion Landfill are the two in the county; crews haul to whichever is closer.
• Medications — many Lake County police departments have drop boxes; don't put them in the trash or the dumpster.
• Firearms found during a cleanout — the crew will stage them for the family; local police will take unwanted firearms.

Municipal code enforcement

Every Lake County municipality has a building or code-enforcement department that issues property-maintenance notices. If you've received one, the notice itself lists the contact and the compliance date — bring it to the walkthrough. If you're the neighbor of a property in bad condition, that department is the place to report it.

Guides on this site

• What hoarding cleanup costs in Lake County — By level, by square footage, and what insurance will and won't cover.
• How to help a family member who hoards — What to say, what not to do, and when it becomes a safety issue.
• For landlords and property managers — Documentation, tenant rights, and getting a unit rentable again.
• Does insurance cover cleanup? — Homeowners, renters, and the programs that sometimes help seniors.