[nagdu] Follow-up

[Hannah Chadwick]

Tracy,
This has been something I've thought about even before I stopped 
working with Princess.  I can't help but think that if I had a 
visit from the school, we could have gotten assessed in the 
beginning and that could have prevented the heartache of sending 
her back to the school after a year of working together.  I could 
have gone back to the school for "touch up", but the environment 
there is very different than my own.  So I also believe that a 
follow-up in your own environment is very important.  We all 
learn from our mistakes and follow-up is something that I 
definitely want from my next guide dog program.
Just my thoughts, Hannah

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Thu, 18 Apr 2013 13:09:25 -0400
Subject: [nagdu] Follow-up

The discussion about staff cutbacks got me thinking about 
follow-up
services.  Some people said that in-person follow-up is really 
only needed
for serious problems, and maybe some of us have gotten lazy and 
called out
the field rep for something we could figure out ourselves.  I'm 
not sure I
agree with these opinions.
I like follow-up, at least in the beginning of a new partnership.  
I always
wonder if more prompt and effective follow-up would have saved my 
shepherd
from having a nervous breakdown.  Perhaps I was asking more than 
he could
give, but perhaps there were things I could have done 
differently.  I do
know that a follow-up visit near the beginning of my relationship 
with Echo
made a huge difference.  She was having a left tendency, and I 
asked if
someone could come have a look.  Not a serious problem, but it 
was really
bugging me.  A trainer came out and saw in 5 minutes that I 
wasn't holding
the harness exactly over Echo's back, and it was confusing her.  
He fixed my
position; I practiced for an hour or so, and the problem was 
solved forever.
I stopped being bugged with Echo, and our relationship got a lot 
happier and
easier.
When I got Ben, I also had some follow-up at first.  It resolved 
some
things, and not others, but I was glad to have a bit of help.  I 
haven't
wanted any for years.  I may have someone come have a look, when 
I start to
think Ben is saying he'd like to retire, just to be sure I'm not 
missing
something.  Or I may not.
Anyway, I think follow-up at the beginning, even for problems 
that don't
seem serious, can be really helpful.
Tracy


_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info 
for nagdu:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/sparklylicious
%40gmail.com