As people age, some find it difficult to perform routine chores at home. Such people require a helping hand. Did you realize that animals can be trained to help in the home? Along with helping, they also provide great companionship. The most common assistance pets are dogs. Cats are sometimes used to provide company to people like senior citizens who need to keep their blood pressure low, and to help them beat stress. Even exotic pets such as capuchin monkeys are trained for this purpose. Not only are they a big help for senior citizens, but also for the physically handicapped, such as deaf and blind people, and quadriplegics.
Service dogs are dogs are specially trained dogs for patients with disabilities. The hearing dog is a special kind of service dog which is trained to help the hearing impaired. They help by alerting their disabled partner when they hear important sounds such as phone rings, doorbells, alarm clocks and smoke alarms. They are of great help not only within the house, but also outdoors. They alert the handler when someone calls out the person’s name, approaching sirens, and vehicles. Hearing dogs can be recognized by the bright orange leash and collar they commonly wear. Sometimes they even wear a jacket or a cape.
Some service dogs are trained as mobility assistance dogs, whose job is to help a person who is physically challenged. They are trained to open and close doors, pick up things, and even turn lights on and off. Large dogs can also be trained to pull patients in wheelchairs with the help ofa special harness.
Some canines are trained as walker dogs, which have been nicknamed “living canes”. They help patients with Parkinson’s disease and other ambulatory disorders. They help by providing balance while walking. If the handler stumbles, the dog helps him to regain position by acting as a brace.
Dogs are also trained for assisting people with Type 1 diabetes. They are trained to smell the odor changes in the body which signal hypoglycemia or low blood glucose. Another type of service dogs is the seizure response dog. They help patients with epilepsy or other seizure disorders. They are trained to seek help in case of emergency and wake up the unconscious patient. They are trained to use a pre-programmed phone to get help quickly. They also provide emotional support, and often carry information about the patient’s medical condition.
There are also service dogs trained to help people with psychiatric or neurological disabilities such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, autism, and post traumatic stress disorder. They remind the handler to take medicines, and can also help people suffering from hallucinations or paranoia. They also act as a brace and help to retrieve objects.
Dogs which help visually impaired people are known as guide dogs. They help the handler to avoid obstacles. Guide horses, which are miniature horses, are also employed to help people who are blind and who do not like dogs. Some people prefer horses because they live longer than dogs. Some are allergic or afraid of dogs. However, dogs have the advantage of being able to come in the house, while horses, even miniature ones, cannot. Additionally, service dogs can accompany their owner on public transportation, and horses of course cannot.
