Can an Assistance Dog Be Beneficial for Your Elderly Loved One?

By Gauthier Family Home Care | April 15, 2020 | Comments Off on Can an Assistance Dog Be Beneficial for Your Elderly Loved One?

The humane society states that between 36 to 44% of households in the United States have a dog. About ⅔ of the households that have a dog say their dog is a part of their family. Those who have ongoing health conditions, often need a dog to help them out. This is called an assistance dog. Do you think an assistance dog could be beneficial for your elderly loved one? 

Caregiving Team

Senior Care Lowell, MI: Assistance Dog’s and Seniors

Who is part of your elderly loved one’s caregiving team? Maybe you, their senior care providers, other family members, or friends? Why not add an assistance dog to the team? Research shows that assistance dogs can greatly benefit elderly adults, both mentally and physically. Those who have seizures, mobility issues, depression, and neurological disorders can benefit from having an assistance dog. Many elderly adults say that their assistance dog makes them feel independent, secure, and safe.  

Assistance Dog or Service Dog 

There are differences between assistance dogs and service dogs. Assistance dogs help someone. They can offer numerous services including anxiety relief, companionship, help with daily living activities, and medical alerts. Service dogs are specifically trained to help someone who has a neurological disorder, chronic illness, or physical disability. Basically, a service dog is a type of assistance dog. Some other types of assistance dogs include psychiatric service dogs and companion dogs.  

Keeping Independence and Freedom 

If you or senior care providers can’t be around your elderly loved one at all times, an assistance dog can be a great idea. If your elderly loved one uses a wheelchair, the assistance dog can help them get things they have dropped. Many assistance dogs can open up a door, as well. This way they can run for help if needed. If your elderly loved one can’t undress all on their own, the assistance dog can be trained to help them get undressed. If your elderly loved one has seizures, the assistance dog can help to keep them safe while they are tossing around.  

 

There are so many different ways that assistance dogs can help an elderly adult. They have helped many elderly adults with a wide variety of health conditions. If your elderly loved one needs an additional member of their caregiving team, why not consider getting them an assistance dog? The dog could become a part of the family.  

 

If you or someone you know needs help with senior care in Lowell, MI, contact Gauthier Family Home Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services in our community. Call us at (616) 258-2300 for more information. 

 

Sources 

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/index.html 

https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html 

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