Because scent recalls memories and affects mood, it can be very beneficial for senior citizens who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. These facilities, in general, tend to have a musty, hospital type smell which contributes to the low spirits of their residents. A scent solution, whether it is limited to certain areas or is connected to the air conditioning system, can help. Although the sense of smell diminishes somewhat with age, it is still a powerful way to reach those who are infirm, and even those with severe dementia. For patients with Alzheimer's, more recent memory is usually impaired, but older memories may still be available.
In a study, researchers found that 86.8% of those born after 1930 had olfactory-evoked recall, and 61.3% of older respondents who were born before 1930. (Nostalgia: A Neuropsychiatric Understanding; Alan R. Hirsch 1992)
Although the most common memory-related scent is baked goods, nostalgic scents tend to differ by region where the respondents grew up. For those on the east coast of the US, it was flowers; south - fresh air, midwest - farm animals and west coast - barbecued meat brought the memories flooding back. In other countries, scents particular to those regions did the same.
Other scents that can be used in the nursing home setting include citrus to improve mood and lavender to calm agitated residents.
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