Senior Care Tips: Service animals have helped many people of all ages.
They have especially helped elderly people who had mental and physical disabilities. Federal laws state that dogs are the only animals that qualify as service animals. However, miniature horses might qualify in certain circumstances, as well. If you aren’t sure whether your elderly loved one could benefit from having a dog as a service animal, hopefully, these senior care tips will help.
Bad Vision
Does your elderly loved one have terrible vision? Maybe they have a difficult time seeing in their house. Your elderly loved one may also have difficulty crossing the street or seeing in the grocery store. If this is the case, your elderly loved one may need someone to help them get around. Having a dog as a service animal might be just what your elderly loved one needs. It should be noted that your elderly loved one should also have a family caregiver and/or senior care providers to help them get around, too. Service animals can be great, but they can’t do everything.
Diabetes
Does your elderly loved one have diabetes? If so, they need to monitor their blood sugar levels. Service dogs can be trained to tell if someone has low blood sugar levels. When the dog recognizes the signs of low blood sugar, he or she can signal your elderly loved one to take their insulin or other medications.
Balance Issues
Does your elderly loved one have stability or balance issues? If they do have trouble keeping their balance, a service dog can provide the support they need. Your elderly loved one could lean on the dog when standing up. In this case, a larger dog breed would be best. It is also important that your elderly loved one has senior care providers checking in on them. This way falls can be prevented as much as possible.
Senior Care Tips: Conclusion
These are some of the reasons why your elderly loved one may need a service animal. In addition to helping with all of these things, service dogs can also help with pulling wheelchairs, reminding your loved one to take other medications, helping keep your loved one safe when they have seizures, and alerting your hearing-impaired loved one that someone is at their house.
Senior Care Tips: Service dogs are not pets. However, they can help your elderly loved one with physical and mental disabilities. Check into the federal laws about service animals today. If needed, you can talk to your elderly loved one’s doctor about whether they should get a service animal, as well.
If you or someone you know needs Elder Care in St. Cloud, MN, contact Adara Home Health Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve.
Call us at (888) 660-5772 for more information.
Sources
https://adata.org/guide/