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| Price : It is doubtful that cats or dogs will ever be recognized as preferred providers by insurance companies. But more and more hospitals, rest homes, and therapists are employing the use of animals as co-therapists in some fashion. This may be relatively new in the United States, but not so elsewhere. The belief that animals are good companions for those who are sick has a long history. A Long
History of Companionship
Britain has been more progressive in the therapeutic use of pets than has the United States. In the 1790s, a Quaker retreat center encouraged its patients to spend time touching and interacting with the roaming farm animals at the facility. The staff believed this would improve the mental state of the people more than the archaic treatments used for the mentally ill at that time. Animal-assisted therapy actually had its beginnings with therapeutic horseback riding programs in Germany during the 1960s. It wasn't until the 1980s that the use of animals in therapeutic settings became more common in the United States. Animals used in the various visitations and therapy settings can vary dogs, cats, horses, Capuchin monkeys, and some varieties of birds are used. Social workers and physical therapists have led the way more often than not in employing animals to assist in helping patients.2
Personal Discovery: In the late 1960s, I stumbled on the therapeutic use of dogs in my own counseling practice. At that time, I had an office in my home. When counselees came to the door, my two gregarious shelties were there first. It became a ritual for everyone to meet them. I soon discovered how influential pets were in the lives of these people. Some refused to leave until they said good-bye to my dogs. Others seemed more relaxed when one of the dogs sat next to them during the session. At times, I observed a quiet, reserved man become more outgoing and expressive when greeting a dog. I noticed his wife's reaction to this response, especially when they had rarely experienced such an expressive occasion in their own interaction. Of course, this became a helpful topic of discussion during the session. When I opened a counseling center, the process continued. Tropical fish in the waiting room entertained and relaxed children as well as adults. As I made the transition from raising shelties to golden retrievers, new opportunities arose to use a dog as an assistant. With Sheffield, my retriever, we had a natural greeter at the counseling center. He was kept in the front office, visible to all who entered. I discovered those who needed his services and those who were not as responsive to dogs.
In many sessions, Sheffield's presence in the counseling office was a source of comfort. I also used some of his qualities to illustrate ways of responding to others. When someone is struggling through the grieving process, the use of an animal has proven beneficial. The touching of the dog as well as his sensitive concern to the persons crying has been useful in eliciting responses from the counselee in the ensuing discussion.
Benefits to Consider: Why would anyone want to use animals in his or her counseling practice? What are the benefits? Consider the following findings. Therapists have discovered that having an animal in the office, whether it be a cat, a dog, or fish in a tank, is relaxing. Animals help soothe agitated feelings. They can be used as a way to make contact with a reserved client or a hesitant child. An animal may serve as a bridge to person-to-person interaction. If a person is paranoid, he or she may have difficulty connecting with you, whereas the animal acts as a go-between.3 A study of a twice-weekly animal visitation program in rest homes using experimental and control groups showed a significant change in residents functioning. Those who received visits experienced statistically significant decreases in depression, anxiety, and confusion.4 A year long study of nearly 1,000 elderly members of a Los Angeles health maintenance organization discovered that those who owned dogs sought medical care 20% less often than those without pets.
Studies also indicated that visitors to nursing homes who were accompanied by an animal drew more positive interactive responses from the residents than those who came without them. The residents who were exposed to pets smiled more, were more alert, and were physically less aggressive. Patients were noticeably more tolerant of others standing near them when an animal was present.5 Often animals are used with Alzheimer patients. Many had a dog or cat when they were children. The renewed contact with an animal helps them to recall those memories. We have friends in Colorado who raise horses. Each Wednesday a group from the Alzheimer facility is brought to their ranch for a weekly ride. These patients have difficulty remembering their daily routines. Yet each Wednesday morning, they can be found in the lobby wearing their special riding hats, waiting for the days events to begin. No one has to remind them of the weekly ride. Adolescents from a residential care home are also brought in to help with the horses and the riders. Contact with the animals has had a positive effect on the teen's outlook as well. Dogs have been used for years with the sight impaired. Now, with the hearing impaired, dogs are used to alert their owners to sounds such as a babys cry, phone, doorbell, alarm clock, or smoke detector.6 Some dogs have rare abilities to help their owners. For instance, Walton, a Labrador-mix service dog, is a seizure-alert dog, able to warn his owner of impending epileptic attacks before they strike. Once his owner, Emily, has had a seizure, the dog is very protective and won't allow her to exert herself the next day.7 Dogs, as well as Capuchin monkeys, are used with the multiple handicapped. Canine companion dogs are trained to do 89 different tasks for their owners, thus enabling owners greater opportunities for being independent.
Animals give unconditional acceptance, especially dogs. They do not care if youre on drugs, inebriated, or HIV positive. When that animal walks up to you, you discover that someone wants to connect with you regardless of your circumstances. Dr. Ashok Bedi, a psychiatrist in private practice at Milwaukee sychiatric Hospital in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, has suggested that animals can fulfill the needs people have to feel valuable and lovable and to sense that they belong and are competent. Animals do not talk back, criticize, or give orders. Disturbed children of all ages who have regular visits by animals act up less often. The animals seem to add a sense of predictability to their lives and thus increase their self-control. There are also significant physiological effects as well. A persons heart rate is lower when he or she sits quietly or reads aloud in the presence of a friendly animal than when doing so alone. The survival rate for heart surgery patients is higher for those who have pets in their homes than for those who do not. Those who own pets tolerate stress better and have lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels. A study by Karen Allen, Ph.D., and James J. Blascoush, Ph.D., showed that dogs were actually a better source of social support than spouses. Two-hundred forty people participated in this stress study, which showed that participants stress response was highest when spouses were present and lower only when their pets were there. The conclusion was drawn that its probably because dogs are non-judgmental or perceived that way. Find a therapist to get solutions to your problems.
Is Pet Therapy for You?
What can you do with the use of pets in your practice? Be sure you enjoy Animals and can bond with them. You can't force this. You need an animal that is people-oriented and responsive. Not all cats and dogs are. Certain breeds of dogs work better than others. For example, knowing the different personality types of dogs is Important. (I do not mean using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator even though I have typed both of my retrievers!) Researchers have found that matching the personalities of people and dogs is an Important step. If you are interested, the following old_resources would be essential reading.
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For the uninformed, identifying where that squeak or thunk is coming from on your car or truck, or determining where that pungent odour is coming from, can be quite disconcerting. However, being cognizant of usual noises and smells emanating from your vehicle will help you nip potential automotive problems in the bud. Early detection of strange sounds or smells coming from your vehicle can help reduce repair costs, and if you are like me, everyone hates to pay those exorbitant fees charged by automotive repair shops these days, right?
Here are some tips to help you identify some of those early tell tale signs, just by using your nose and ears. A very common sound is brake squeal. On domestic vehicles brake squealers are used. These are little pieces of wire that touch the brake rotor when the brakes are applied. Those are designed to alert you the driver, that there is very little brake pad material left, and that it's time to replace the pads. On import vehicles, if you experience brake squeal, it may be dust particles or sharp edges on the surface of the pads rubbing on the rotor. The only way to be sure is to remove the wheel where the offending sound is coming from. The brake pads then need to be removed and checked to see if there are dirt particles or sharp edges on the surface of the pads. Most of the time this has been the primary cause of brake squeal on these vehicles. It can happen if the vehicle is either hot or cold. Inferior brake pad material can definitely add to the brake noise list. Another problem that can happen is experiencing grinding noises when you apply the brakes. When you get grinding noises you have to be very careful, because that is a sure sign that the brake pads or brake shoes have worn down to bare metal. When your brakes are applied you have the metal of the brake pads or brake shoes contacting the brake rotors or brake drums, and that requires an immediate repair.
Other grinding noises coming from your car might be from faulty or worn wheel bearings. Wheel bearing noises are more of a roaring or groaning sound. On most cars, whether front-wheel or rear-wheel drive, that sound would come from the front of the car. To determine which wheel bearing is the culprit, drive the car at approximately 30 mph/50 kph on a quiet road, and for example, if you round a left hand corner, the centrifugal force results in the load being applied to the right wheel. If the grinding is exaggerated, then the wheel bearings on the right side need to be checked to see if there is movement or play in the wheel. Perhaps all that is needed is for the nut to be tightened holding the wheel bearing assembly in place. If the bearing is worn, it will have to be replaced. Conversely, if the grinding noise occurs when the vehicle is negotiating a right hand turn in the road, then the left side (driver's side) wheel bearing will have to be inspected.
The most common sound is that of a blown muffler or leaking exhaust. Most people recognize that sound. But one sound that is quite difficult to diagnose, even from an automotive technician's perspective, is when one experiences a ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. If the ticking sound is experienced on a cold morning, most likely it can be attributed to an exhaust manifold gasket leaking. This noise may be misinterpreted as valve tappet noise. The exhaust manifold gasket leaking noise is the result of the contraction of the cast iron metal of the exhaust manifold and the cast aluminum head on the engine, leaving a tiny gap at the gasket, which allows for the exhaust gases to leak through. In most cases, if the leak is detected within a year, the cure is simply to tighten the manifold bolts. If the gasket is punctured or the problem has persisted for over a year, the gasket will have to be replaced and the manifold assembly machined, due to distortion.
Rumbling sounds coming from the engine compartment may mean that the cooling fan is not in balance and is vibrating, or there may be a worn water pump. The latter would result in a grinding sound similar to wheel bearing noise. A very tight fan belt will exert a load on the water pump impeller and cause the noise to be quite loud. A fan belt adjustment may all that is required to alleviate this problem. If the water pump is leaking anti-freeze, then the only alternative is to replace the unit. Fan belt squeal, experienced when the engine is revving, can be rectified by tightening the fan belt. There are many more noises that can be identified by the average motorist, from a faulty heater fan, power steering pump, air conditioning unit, etc. Unfortunately, these repairs are beyond the scope of the average car owner and best left to a qualified automotive technician.
What are some of the most common automotive smells that can be identified by the vehicle owner? A very common smell is that of burning engine oil. Leaking valve cover gaskets will cause the oil to drip onto the exhaust manifold, resulting in a pungent smell. Usually there is some detectable smoke associated with that as well, which will cause the eyes to water. Tightening the valve cover bolts or nuts may be all that is required, however, in many cases the valve cover gasket will have to be replaced.
Anti-freeze smell is a very sweet smell and is usually detected inside the vehicle. This is usually due to a heater core that is leaking. A green damp spot on the front passenger side carpet or mat is usually evidence of the leak. Unfortunately, this idicates that the heater core, which is similar to a radiator, will have to be replaced.
Electrical smells are very strong, and is a sure sign that something is burning. The plastic insulation around the wires usually melts first and in extreme cases can catch fire. This problem is generally a result of an electrical circuit shorting out in the car. It could be the starter motor shorting out, or the alternator burning out. That odour will enter the vents into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. It will be evident and often obvious where this type of smell is coming from. It emits a smell similar to burning rubber. A starter motor that is jammed in the flywheel will try to keep on spinning until the engine is stopped. That is burning insulation and the temperature on the starter motor can reach several hundred degrees.
Fuel smells can be nauseating. A fuel smell will be a raw smell, similar to the smell you experience when taking off your gas cap when you fill up at the service station. This is usually the result of a leak in the fuel tank, fuel filter, carburetor/fuel injection system or a fuel line in the engine compartment. Most motorists can readily detect fuel smells.
An exhaust leaking smell which is caused by a leaking catalytic converter or leaking exhaust system can be a choking odour that can burn your eyes. If your car has open heater vents or if there is a panel that is rusted or cracked to allow the gases to enter the passenger compartment, which acts like a vacuum, especially if you open your car's windows, then carbon monoxide will enter the vehicle. We are all aware that carbon monoxide in a closed environment can kill you. Exhaust problems should be repaired by a qualified automotive technician as soon as they are detected.
If your car or truck is running a rich fuel mixture, the exhaust emission will smell like fuel. When a vehicle runs rich, it means that raw fuel entering the combustion chamber does not burn completely, and raw fuel comes out of the exhaust.
Finally, automatic transmission fluid smells, particularly with larger vehicles, are a very common problem. When the oil seal is leaking at the rear of the automatic transmission, the torque converter at the front, or seals on the selector shaft will leak oil that falls on the exhaust pipe near the rear of the vehicle. That smell, similar to that of burning engine oil, is a strong odour, but slightly different, will enter the passenger compartment.
Determining the unusual smells and sounds you are experiencing with your vehicle will be of immense help to the mechanic or automotive service technician you decide to take your car or truck to. Today, with increasingly sophisticated cars and trucks, a simple method of pinpointing the problem are will not only give your mechanic or automotive technician a welcome head start in solving your problem, but it will invariably translate into real savings for you. And really, why not use our two investigative senses of smell and hearing? They don't cost us anything to use, do they?
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Do you watch the news? If you do I am sure that you have heard the experiences of people who have had fires in their homes that came with close calls for their children. The thing is though that they had a smoke detector but for some reason the alarm had no affect on their child to wake them up and alert them of fire. A solution to this problem though has been made. Introducing kidsmart smoke detectors. Today we will discuss what they are, why they work work so well, and what benefits can be had from using them. With Kidsmart you will no longer need to worry if your children will be awakened and alerted of fire like you may worry with the smoke detector you have now.
You may be asking yourself," What is a Kidsmart smoke detector?" If you are asking that question ask no more for now we will get right to that point. A Kidsmart smoke detector is a smoke detector for your kids benefit. "How so," you say. One of these fantastic smoke detectors and alarms enables you to make a recording of your voice that will alert and wake up your child in case of a fire.
Moving right along, lets discuss why Kidsmart smoke detectors work so well. The first reason a Kidsmart smoke detector works so well is that it is your on voice being spoken to your child. Research studies show that kids respond easier and quicker to the voice of their parents. That is why during a fire your voice will raise your children to action quicker than any alarm. Many kids today have developed a technique of ignoring the dreaded alarm clock anyway. A smoke alarm is a piece of cake for them to sleep through.
Now lets discuss our last and final topic on Kidsmart smoke detectors. The topic of what benefits can be had when using a Kidsmart smoke detector. The best benefit it could give you one day is your child's life. You also have the benefit of assurance that your children are better protected from the threat of a fire in your home.
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