#administrators #alternativecare #anxiety #aromatherapy #cnas #dementiacare #depression #holisticcare #longtermcare #moodmanagement #nurses #psychologists #skillednursing #socialworkers #thinkclean
Everyone is pretty keen on cleanliness these days! And, why shouldn't they be? We are living in a society that has relied heavily on being clean. What does that mean? Should we be concerned with over-clean? Don't we rely on bacteria and viruses to keep our immune systems strong? Is there a balance? How about being clean with your emotional and cognitive health?
We think that there is and so do other communities, like yours, that are adding additional layers of support using non-pharmacological care. We thought we would share some really great ideas that you can implement; we can even help create a program just for you and yours in mind. Here is some food for thought.
In a small study of 28 individuals with dementia, a blend of rosemary and lemon were used in the morning, and one made from lavender and orange in the evening, as summarized on Health and Healing NY. Patients who were diagnosed with Alzheimer's showed a positive change in dementia assessment scores after nearly a month of treatment. No lab tests indicated any change in body chemistry, which researchers believe is a sign that no negative side effects occurred.
Another study showed that lavender could improve both mood and anxiety in a hospital setting. It's believed that lavender could be a beneficial tool in relieving the stress of senior citizens, those with mental health concerns, and those just dealing with high anxiety levels. Simply by breathing in the very essence of lavender, can help calm anxious feelings or uplift mood. And this can be quite cleansing for the body.
To aid in transforming the body to rely on the smell, rather than a psychotropic medication, isn't this what patient-centered care is? Yes it is, and it’s a clean approach to care. This should be something that is coordinated your or the resident’s doctor if one begins to see positive outcomes with aromatherapy.
We believe in the body "running clean". It is necessary to eliminate as many synthetic additives as we can to aid our body's ability to filter out what it needs, but also to have time to heal itself. That, after all, must happen for optimal health. We can make it a goal at any age, and help those around us by giving them their optimal health.
Aromatherapy can eliminate the need for any other additional aids. It can help one to create an environment that is a positive place to be for a person. Whether it is to help calm one's anxious feelings, elevate mood, invigorate senses, promote positive feelings, you get to choose and create an environment that supports you and yours' goals.