Can there really be a correlation between memory and smells?

Of course, there is! How many remember Sunday afternoon and Grandma’s house after church and her wonderful fried chicken? Just smelling fried Chicken now makes you remember the comfort and warm embrace of the Sunday afternoons.

We all associate different smells and scents with memory.

Whether they are good memories or bad we all have them. Just because someone has Dementia does not mean that they don’t get the same feelings of comfort, security, or even anxiety and fear associated with a certain smell or scent. We use different essential oils with people that have Dementia to help calm anxiety and confusion and can even assist in stimulating appetite.

Take for example lavender. It has been known to have a calming effect. The scent of lavender are in lotions, bath oils, and even sachets for our pillows and drawers. We can use the same principles of essential oils to offer a feeling of comfort, serenity, and calmness to the mind of a person with dementia. Certain scents such as smelling apple pie or sugar cookies can stimulate hunger in someone that has no appetite.

Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways and I’d like to explore some of these ways with you.

Please follow me in upcoming blogs and we will travel the world of aromatherapy!