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THE SMELLS OF CAREGIVING

January 17, 2024

THE SMELLS OF CAREGIVING

In addition to everything else that is unique in the World of Caregiving—there are the smells.

Aromas are important.

That is evidenced by the number of Air Fresheners and the numerous manners in which one can “refresh” the smells in the home. You may have seen the commercials where miscellaneous celebrities endorse an air purifying system and boast of the Spa-like fragrance. I don’t have any kids or pets and so a nice smelling home was something that I took for granted.

I made it a point that my living space always had a peaceful, refreshing aroma. My Apartment smelled like Pier One Imports. If not familiar with that scent it is a combination of a variety of scented wrapped and unwrapped Candles, various Incense flavors unburnt and burning, dried Sage bundles and Eucalyptus leaves in baskets in every room.

Upon entering and leaving my apartment, I always took a breath and inhaled deeply. It was like a type of aroma therapy. I always felt at peace. The scents of Lavender, Sandalwood, Ocean Breeze, Frankincense and Myrrh mixed with Strawberries, Vanilla and Patchouli can have an immediate impact on one’s state of mind. I miss my apartment. I miss having my own Pier One scented space.

The aromas of Caregiving are not quite as pleasant. And at times they are worse than unpleasant.

Every morning upon awakening and going to the Ladies Room, I am greeted by the smell of Urine. And due to a variety of medications—a very strong stench! Enough said.

After doing all that I can to mitigate the odor of used Depends, I try to remember to be grateful that this odor is limited to the bathroom and does not spill over onto the bed sheets and linens.

After my Mom takes a shower, the bathroom is permeated by the scent of her bath soaps, washes, gels, and conditioners. Not my preferred scent but much more palatable. With one exception, my Mother uses a product called Jean Nate. It’s some type of Body after bath splash—used in the same manner as one would use face toner or aftershave. I’m mentioning it because it has a unique fragrance that overpowers every other bathroom fragrance for a moment. And I’ve never seen or heard of it anywhere other than my Mom’s bathroom. (I ordered it online from Amazon). And so, it is fragrance that I associate with Caregiving.

Then there is my Mom’s bedroom which simply smells like “old people.” And that’s interesting because my Mother herself smells perfectly lovely.

She is always freshly showered, and she uses perfume daily. She wears “First” by Van Cleef. That has been her preferred perfume for years. And she wears the Perfume or the Eau de Parfum—meaning you smell the undiluted fragrance, not a watered-down version. My Mom herself—smells like Mommy.

But her bedroom has that “old people” scent. And I can’t think of any other way to describe it. When she is going to be out for a bit, I open the windows wide and let the New England air refresh the room.

Interestingly, the fragrance tools that I used to create a peaceful relaxing scent in my apartment do not work while Caregiving. Caregiving pleasant odors and masking scents consist of Bleach, Glade, Lysol, and Febreze in a variety of forms. Plug in devices, stand-alone packaging, scented trash bags and sprays—that’s what it takes to refresh the Caregiving space.

A little candle, eucalyptus leaves or the smoke of an incense stick just won’t do. You’ll notice in the commercials for the Spa-scented Air Purifiers, there are no Pets, Children or Elderly Seniors in the home.

Oh, how I long for the familiar scent of Pier One Imports—unfortunately, that is one of the Retail Chains that hasn’t lasted a lifetime; therefore, I can’t even roam around the store.

I will survive!

And hopefully so will my sense of smell!

I have found “Febreze for Small Spaces” extremely effective in eliminating the smells of Caregiving in small spaces. Every odor that is, except the indescribable whiff of “old people” in the air.

Since I’ve been a Caregiver, the smell of Burnt Popcorn provokes pleasant thoughts and memories. Memories of the Fireman who respond to the emergency fire alarms.

That’s Caregiver aromatherapy.