In the past few years service animals, especially dogs, have considerably facilitated the life of people with physical disabilities and of those who need emotional support. A lot of recent studies in the medical field have shown that individuals with disabilities both physical and psychical are tending to be cured and adapt to new life conditions faster if they have a specially trained animal living in their house. Moreover, such an animal has the ability to sense almost any threats to one’s health – from seizure to an anxiety attack. There are many benefits of service animals, they can assist in many different ways, so let’s consider this issue more carefully.
Service dogs
Dogs are one of the most prevalent species among service animals. They succumb to training easily and, depending on their breeds, gained skills and needs of a patient, they can perform different tasks. A dog is the most popular service animal among the Americans with disabilities act. They say that specially trained service dog helps them to cope with usual daily challenges and with more difficult tasks. The benefits of service dogs for physically disabled people are the most obvious. However, you should know that different disabilities require different dog’s skills. Dogs are usually being trained to do work according to specially designed programs for a couple of years before they become professional service animals.
One of the most widespread ways of involving service dogs in the facilitation of the life of a person with a disability is using animals as guides for individuals with visual impairments. Everyone probably has seen people on the streets who are using their dog as alive navigators that search for a convenient way to the desired location. However, it is not the only help that people with disabilities can get from their pets. For example, registered service dogs are trained to assist people who have hearing issues, producing special sounds that help individuals navigate in the area. Assistance dogs are also individually trained to provide mobility assistance for people with such impairments, especially for those who are in wheelchairs.
A service dog can also perform tasks in the household. Most often these are simple but very necessary everyday challenges. The animal can switch lights on and off, search and bring required things, open doors, provide the access to different locations give support, and prevent falling while walking people who have such troubles. Dogs also can upload and unload laundry and press buttons, for example, on the panel of the elevator.
A service dog can even warn their owners about possible threats to their health and life. Dogs are specially trained to alert people about forthcoming heart attacks and other heart illnesses and even about seizures and epilepsy. They also can provide first aid or bring necessary medicines to their owner.
In other words, service dogs provide a high level of safety and comfort for people with disabilities. While some chronic diseases or mobility issues can substantially limit people’s existence, having the house service animal as a pet and using it for therapy is one but a huge step toward quick adaptation, convenience, and securing individuals’ life conditions.
Emotional support
Although the physical benefits of a service dog are more obvious, this kind of animal is commonly involved in improving one’s mental health. What is more important is that service dogs are trained to help people who are in need of emotional support. They qualify as services for medical purposes. Dogs are commonly involved in the psychiatric service for therapy as partners for patients with different psychic diseases. Everybody knows that dogs keep the person in a good mood, enhance the level of self-confidence and promote socialization. However, emotional support animals are even more useful.
The dog is a great companion and partner. These animals are extremely loyal and dedicated to the people they take care of. That is why getting a service dog is often recommended as a therapy for people who are feeling loneliness and con-similar mental illnesses. People, who may feel isolated from society due to their disability issues, feel more confident and secure, owning a dog as a companion. One more benefit for boosting disabled people’s confidence is that they don’t need any additional help from the nurses because the service dog has been training to perform all essential services.
Besides, service dogs can improve owner’s social interaction. These animals contribute to new acquaintances and help to make friends. What is more important, service animals don’t allow strangers to come near their owner, which is especially significant if a person’s disability-related to visual and hearing impairments. Moreover, dogs can feel people with bad intentions, alert their owners and become aggressive in protecting them.
If a person has anxiety or panic attacks, service dogs can calm him or her down much faster. In such situations they act like a psychical prop, helping their owner to concentrate and overcome the attack.
Getting a service dog is a good decision
Service dogs are specially trained to work or perform tasks for assisting people with disabilities. Fortunately, government assistance programs for disabled persons acknowledge guide dogs and other service animals as necessary support to improve their participants’ lives. Coordinate with your NDIS plan management staff so they can help you with getting a canine companion.
They can greatly simplify the living of people who have any health issues. A dog can cope with regular daily housing. It can also help with more complicated challenges, giving people with disabilities an opportunity to feel comfortable and secure in society, forgetting their impairments. Finally, service animals usually become real friends and partners that are always ready to help and support.