Emotional support animals are pets that offer comfort and companionship to persons suffering from severe anxiety, depression, or certain phobias. Despite the fact that they give these benefits to their owners, ESAs are not designated service animals.
To qualify a pet as an emotional support animal, owners or handlers must obtain a prescription letter from a registered mental health specialist, such as those at Diversified Supportive Services is a provider of waiver services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
All clients in need of ESAs can get prescription letters from our mental health counseling office. Before doing so, there must be a strong emotional bond between the person and the animal (mostly dogs).
Our home healthcare agencies in Pennsylvania can examine your needs and establish whether the support animal relieves the tension caused by an emotional or mental handicap with the help of our therapy services.
Aside from the one described above, here are some more advantages to owning an emotional support animal as part of your mental health care:
- Physical health has improved.
Emotional support animals have been shown in studies to assist lower blood pressure, lower breathing rates, and enhance pain tolerance. - It alleviates loneliness.
Companionship with animals is especially important for people who live alone and suffer from depression and anxiety. - Reciprocal affection and compassion.
Emotional support animals help people find meaning in their lives. ESAs want attention and affection from their handlers, which can be emotionally gratifying.
Please contact us if you want to learn more about ESAs and whether you need one. Our disability care in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is designed to provide you with the best care and assistance possible.