My parent suffers from chronic arthritis and Parkinson’s disease, and I am considering getting an assistance dog to help. What are some considerations regarding service dogs?

For people with disabilities and medical conditions, service dogs can offer helpful assistance. These specially trained animals not only assist with daily tasks but also offer great companionship and an invaluable sense of security. However, it is important to note that acquiring a service dog can be costly and there may be a long waiting list to get one. Here is what you should know.

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

Unlike most pets, assistance dogs are highly-trained specialists – often including breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds. These dogs are trained to understand and execute approximately 40 to 50 commands. Service dogs are well-behaved, calm and are granted access to all public areas. Here is a breakdown of the different types of assistance dogs and what they can help with.

Service dogs: These dogs are specially trained to help individuals with physical disabilities such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease and chronic arthritis. They typically perform tasks that the owner may find challenging, like carrying or retrieving items, picking up dropped objects, opening and closing doors and turning light switches on and off. They can also aid with balance support, assist with household chores and alerting others when help is needed.

Service dogs can also be trained to help people with medical conditions like epilepsy or other seizure disorders, autism, diabetes, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disabilities.

Guide dogs: For the blind or visually impaired, guide dogs help in navigating their surroundings safely. Guide dogs help their handlers avoid obstacles, stop at curbs and steps, navigating through shopping centers and buildings, as well as finding doors, seats and pedestrian crossing buttons.

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 timers and oven timers, smoke alarms, approaching sirens, crying babies or someone calling out the owner’s name.

Finding a Dog

If your parent is interested in getting a service dog, contact a credible assistance dog training program. Use the Assistance Dogs International website (AssistanceDogsInternational.org) which provides a listing of around 85 accredited members and 35 candidate programs in North America.

After you locate a program, you will need to either visit their website or call them to learn about 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, many programs can assist with fundraising or grant applications for those in need. It is important to note that none of these expenses are covered by health insurance or Medicare.

To get an assistance dog from an accredited program, your parent will need to show proof of disability, which a physician can provide. Your parent will also need to complete an application and undergo an interview process. In order for your parent to become familiar with the dog, they may also need to go and stay at the training facility for a week or two so they can receive training on how to handle the dog.

It is also important to understand that assistance dogs are not for everybody. They require time, money and care that your parent must be able and willing to provide.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization’s official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.