Seniors and families often want to try all of the various options they can to help cope with Alzheimer’s disease. Aromatherapy is one idea that might offer seniors some significant benefits. Aromatherapy is non-invasive and is something seniors can use every single day.
Alzheimer’s home care providers can help aging adults incorporate aromatherapy into their daily routines as often as they would like.
What Is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy uses essential oils and other scents to stimulate all senses and the brain. This type of activity can stimulate the brain, trigger memories, and even improve emotional wellness.
Seniors can try aromatherapy in various ways, either environmentally or through the products they use on their bodies. Alzheimer’s home care providers can help make sure seniors with Alzheimer’s disease use aromatherapy safely.
Reducing Agitation and Anxiety
Seniors with Alzheimer’s disease often experience agitation and anxiety that makes them restless. Trying soothing scents that promote relaxation, like lavender and bergamot, can help seniors relax and feel more of a sense of peace. Essential oils in a diffuser can help, but herbal teas that include calming herbs also use aromatherapy principles to help seniors feel calmer.
Boosting Moods
There’s a lot seniors with Alzheimer’s deal with, especially as they look at the ways their lives change. That can leave them feeling down or even cause them to grieve. Some scents, like citrus or rosemary, help to boost moods.
Smelling these uplifting scents may help seniors to let go of some of those negative feelings, improving their overall moods.
Improving Sleep Quality
Sleep issues are another common problem for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease. Common scents like lavender or sandalwood are often associated with creating a restful environment that promotes sleep. Using body lotions with lavender before bed or using a linen spray that contains lavender can help seniors get to sleep more easily.
Alzheimer’s home care providers can help aging adults work some of these ideas into their daily routines.
Stimulating Memories
Invigorating scents like peppermint and rosemary can help seniors improve their focus and make memories easier to recall. They can’t cure Alzheimer’s disease, but smelling some of these smells can help seniors with Alzheimer’s disease to remember events from their past.
If there are particular smells that seniors enjoy or that they can link to happy events, smelling them now can help bring those memories back up for them.
Boosting Appetite
As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, it can be tougher for seniors to eat enough and even to drink plenty of hydrating fluids. Smells like citrus, cinnamon, and other spices can stimulate appetite for them. This may make it easier for Alzheimer’s home care providers to convince seniors to eat a little bit more than they might have otherwise.
Easy Aromatherapy
Keeping aromatherapy easy is the best way to incorporate it into daily life for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease. Taking a bath with scented products, using diffusers and room sprays, or adding scented lotions to daily routines can all be great ideas.
Essential oils are powerful and must be used safely, so seniors might use them sparingly. Lightly-scented body and room products that have the oils properly diluted are a great way for beginners to embrace aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy is very effective for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease in a variety of ways. Alzheimer’s home care providers can help seniors find other tools to improve their quality of life as they live with Alzheimer’s disease.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in East Lake, CA, please contact the caring staff at A Caring Touch Home Care today. Call (619) 344-0528
A Caring Touch Home Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency providing exceptional home care in Coronado, Del Mar/Del Mar Heights, Bonita, East Lake, La Jolla, Torrey Pines, Mt. Helix/La Mesa, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Carmel Ranch, Rancho Penasquitos, Point Loma, Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego and surrounding areas.
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