Our noses are bombarded with different smells all day, from home scents to outside odours. Did you know that each of these scents has an impact on your emotional well-being? Our brains process smells in the same part of the brain that is responsible for emotions and memories, and these functions are closely interlinked.
While bad smells might make us feel bad, the good news is that pleasant smells make us feel better. Certain scents have the power to arouse feelings of nostalgia, reduce stress and even improve mood.
Let us take a look at how introducing the scents into senior care facilities can have significant benefits for the residents.
Benefits of Scents for Seniors
- Improved mood: Uplifting scents can promote feelings of happiness and generally enhance emotional well-being. Examples: citrus and peppermint
- Reduced stress and anxiety: Calming scents can promote relaxation, have a soothing effect, reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality. Overall, this helps create a more peaceful environment for seniors. Examples: lavender and chamomile
- Better brain function: As we age, our cognitive function can be affected, so finding ways to boost it is helpful. Certain scents can help improve mental alacrity and increase focus. Example: rosemary
- Appetite stimulation: Some scents can improve appetite by natural physiological responses. Targeted aromas can stimulate the production of saliva and digestive enzymes, making you feel hungry. Examples: the scents of freshly brewed coffee, baking bread, cinnamon & apples
- Triggering memories: Familiar fragrances can encourage memories along with a sense of comfort from these happy times of days gone by. Example: fresh-cut grass and baking biscuits
How Scent.ology Can Help
Our team can help develop a customised scent strategy to address the specific benefits you would like to target. They can guide you in selecting the most appropriate scents for different parts of your facility and suggest the best delivery method (for example, diffusers or scent machines) for these fragrances.
Factors such as resident preferences, activity levels and the overall feeling you would like to create will be considered. Let us help you turn your senior care facility into a home away from home.
Contact Scent.ology today to create a more inviting and comforting environment in your senior care facility. Your residents can experience an improved quality of life and feel more at home with the right scents in their environment.
