American Medical Association
1996 Clinical Study
Data from the journal of the
American Medical Association, April 3, 1996 Clinical Study
Objective. -To assess the value of service dogs for people with ambulatory
disabilities.
Findings: psychologically, all participants showed substantial
improvements in self-esteem, internal focus of control, and Psychological
well-being within six months after receiving their service dog. Socially,
all participants showed similar improvements in community integration.
demographically. All participants showed increases in school attendance
and/or part time employment. Economically, all participants showed
dramatic decreases in the number of both paid and unpaid assistance hours.
Service dogs could provide substantial psychological benefits for people
with ambulatory disabilities is well as reduce health care costs.
Researchers evaluated the economic and psychological impact of providing a
service dog to 48 people who had been in a wheelchair for at lease two
years. Half got their dog almost immediately and the other half (the
control group) had to wait one year. Within six months of receiving a dog,
the participants experienced greater self esteem, became more active in
their communities and needed less assistance from other humans. At 12
months, the need for paid assistance dropped 68% and the need for unpaid
assistance from friends and family members dropped by 64%. Some of the
participants were able to work part time or attend school. Despite the
high cost to train the dogs, service dogs could save their owners
thousands of dollars a year in paid human assistance costs.
Conclusions: Trained service dogs can be highly beneficial and potentially
cost effective components of independent living for people with physical
disabilities.
People in the United States who have severe ambulatory disabilities often
live in relative social isolation, Not surprisingly, researchers have
reported that these individuals have lower levels of self esteem and
higher levels of depression than the general population. Negative
attitudes, stereotypes contribute to such seclusion.
Many persons have advocated the role of service dogs to help individuals
with severs ambulatory disabilities meet both personal and social needs.
Such dogs, specially trained for the person they assist, can often perform
nearly 100 tasks. For example, service dogs can open and close doors, turn
switches on and off, pull a person up from a sitting or lying down
position, assist a person in and out of baths and pools, help pull on
clothing, procure and pick up objects, pull wheelchairs, help with
shopping, carry parcels, and drag a person to safety in case of fire or
other emergency.
Much anecdotal evidence exists regarding the instrumental and emotional
support service dogs provide for their owners. Furthermore, researchers
have produced evidence that people without disabilities display fewer
negative attitudes and feel less awkwardness and aversion toward
individuals with disabilities who are accompanied by service dogs.
Somewhat unexpectedly, reports of paid and unpaid assistance demonstrated
dramatic economic benefits of service dogs. After 12 months, the presence
of a service dog was associated with a decrease of approximately 60 (68%)
biweekly paid assistance hours in the experimental group. Estimated cost
data for individuals with and without service dogs were based on several
assumptions: total calculated costs of initial canine training at
$10,000.00; canine service period of 8 years verses $8, $10, and human
assistance. Actual savings began to accrue during the second year and
increases to $60,000.00 or more after 8 years as a function of human
assistance costs per hour. In addition to dollar savings, the presence of
approximately 25 (64%) biweekly unpaid assistance hours, thereby
diminishing a substantial time and economic burden for family and ,
friends who were caregivers.
According to the World institute on Disability more than 3.8 million
people in the United States need personal assistance services, but fewer
than 850,800 are actually receiving them.
Article ends with a service dog owner saying "With my dog, I feel safe and
capable and we care for each other with dignity."
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