Blog > How Certain Smells Can Impact Your Mom’s Mood

How Certain Smells Can Impact Your Mom's Mood

Your mom’s friends moved away after retirement. The older she gets, the less social she becomes. Her health may also be changing, and all of that can drag her down. You and her in-home care aide have noticed she’s withdrawn and doesn’t engage with others as she used to.

Have you ever looked into the benefits of filling her home with specific scents? Studies have shown that scents like lemon can improve a person’s mood. Aromatherapy has also been found to lower levels of anxiety.

If an aroma can help your mom feel better, why not try it? Here are the ways to incorporate aromatherapy into her home.

Candles

You can light a candle for both the warm, comforting ambiance and the scent. Candles are also handy for lighting during a power outage.

A three-wick candle usually provides hours of burn time. Find aromatherapy candles in many stores. Or, make these candles as a craft project the two of you can enjoy together.

Diffuser Jewelry

Invest in a necklace or bracelet that absorbs essential oil drops. The warmth of your mom’s body releases the scent all day long. The benefits of aromatherapy follow your mom no matter what room she’s in.

Oil Diffuser

Purchase an oil diffuser and fill an entire floor with a scent. You can buy wall plug-in models, diffusers that diffuse the scent in water vapor, or warmers that heat the oil to release the fragrance.

Pillow Sprays

To help your mom sleep at night, spray her pillows with an aromatherapy spray. Lavender is a good choice for a relaxing night’s sleep. If you want to make your own pillow spray, distilled water and essential oil drops are all it takes.

Shower Steamers

If your mom takes showers, purchase shower steamer tabs. She’ll place one on the shower floor before turning on the water. While she showers, the essential oils from the showers steamer fill the air. It’s an excellent way to enjoy aromatherapy for a short time.

Make Sure Your Mom Has Emotional Support Too, from In-Home Care Providers

Aromatherapy doesn’t work for everyone. However, if your mom finds she feels more energized or happier when the home smells of a specific scent, it’s worth filling her home with that aroma. It’s not the only thing to do to make sure she feels engaged and vitalized.

Talk to her about in-home care services. If she feels lonely or isolated, and that drags down her mood, caregivers can help. Call our in-home care agency and ask about companionship services.

She can have caregivers with her to run errands, do the shopping, and take walks for her health. That’s just a start to the different ways in-home care aides help your mom stay independent.

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3588400/

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/aromatherapy