Service dogs can help seniors with disabilities

Dear Savvy Senior,

What can you tell me about service dogs for seniors with disabilities? My 67-year-old father has chronic arthritis and Parkinson’s disease, and I’m wondering if an assistance dog could help make his life a little easier.

Dog Loving Leah

Dear Leah,

For people with disabilities and even medical conditions, service dogs can be fantastic help, not to mention they provide great companionship and an invaluable sense of security. But be aware that service dogs can be very expensive to purchase and the waiting list to get one can be long. Here’s what you should know.

While most people are familiar with guide dogs that help people who are blind or visually impaired, there are also a variety of assistance dogs trained to help people with physical disabilities, hearing loss and various medical conditions.

Unlike most pets, assistance dogs are highly trained canine specialists – often Golden and Labrador Retrievers, and German Shepherds – that know approximately 40 to 50 commands, are amazingly well-behaved and calm, and are permitted to go anywhere the public is allowed. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of assistance dogs and what they can help with.

Service dogs: These dogs are specially trained to help people with physical disabilities due to multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease, chronic arthritis and many other disabling conditions. They help by performing tasks their owner cannot do or has trouble doing, like carrying or retrieving items, picking up dropped items, opening and closing doors, turning light switches on and off, helping with balance, assisting with household chores, barking to indicate that help is needed and more.

Service dogs can also be trained to help people with medical conditions like epilepsy or other seizure disorders, autism, diabetes, PTSD and other psychiatric disabilities.

Guide dogs: For the blind and visually impaired, guide dogs help their owner get around safely by avoiding obstacles, stopping at curbs and steps, navigate shopping centers and buildings, find doors, seats, pedestrian crossing buttons and more.

Hearing dogs: For those who are deaf or hearing impaired, hearing dogs can alert their owner to specific sounds such as ringing phones, doorbells, alarm clocks, microwave or oven timers, smoke alarms, approaching sirens, crying babies or when someone calls out their name.

Finding a Dog

If your dad is interested in getting a service dog, contact some credible assistance dog training programs. To find them, use the Assistance Dogs International website (AssistanceDogsInternational.org) which provides a listing of around 80 accredited members and 25 candidate programs in North America.

After you locate a few, you’ll need to either visit their website or call them to find out the types of training dogs they offer, the areas they serve, how long their waiting list is and what they charge. Most dog training programs charge anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000 or more for a fully trained service dog, however, most programs can assist with fundraising or grant applications for those in need. None of that cost is covered by health insurance or Medicare.

To get an assistance dog, your dad will need to show proof of his disability, which his physician can provide, and he’ll have to complete an application and go through an interview process. He will also need to go and stay at the training facility for a week or two so he can get familiar with his dog and get training on how to handle it.

It’s also important to understand that assistance dogs are not for everybody. They require time, money, and care that your dad or some other friend or family member must be able and willing to provide.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or click here. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.