Aromatherapy has its serious side

[Helen Hammond]

I thought i'd let everyone know what ive been upto this week. On Tuesday I was invited to speak (again) to the Alzheimer's Cafe in Solihull. This is a return visit for me and I was only to happy to accept their invitation.

Alzheimer's is one of those diseases that we all hope will avoid affecting us, unfortunately its a disease that can be devastating for friends and relatives of those affected. The lack of government funding for drugs which can help to stave off the some of the symptoms to those in the early stages is a very emotional topic for all those connected with anyone diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

My stepmom Jackie, a certified Aromatherapist in Aiken, South Carolina was asked to create an Aromatherapy programme to tackle certain problems associated with the disease for a local nursing home. She has created 5 blends of pure essential oils to tackle:-

Appetite(Wake Me Up & Feed Me) - no, dont get excited this is to stimulate the appetite, not to suppress it!! Do you really think i'd be a member of the Tuesday Weigh in group if it suppressed???

Memory(Promote Alertness) - now this is a popular one. It helps concentration, also extremely useful for students who are revising or sitting exams.

Calming (Restore Peace) - a heavenly aroma of grapefruit & frankincense, to calm episodes of crying,shouting,aggression,agitation & sun-downing (a term used for when people become upset, usually at sunset). A wonderfully gentle blend to calm & soothe overly active children when you need them to quieten down - no it won't zonk them out or turn them into little angels but can relax gently.

Pain & Insomnia(Relaxed & Dreamy) When pain medication doesnt quite take the edge off pain & a little something extra is needed to become comfortable or to relax the body & mind to aid restful sleep. This blend has been so affective in helping restful sleep that some nursing homes have reported an 80% decrease in daytime falls from residents, sleeping soundly can make you steadier on your feet.

For all the carer's (Care Giver Relief) - A blend of 4 essential oils,Orange to energise,Cinnamon focus the mind, caring for others no matter how much you care or love the person/people you are looking after, can be a draining experience, physically & mentally. A positive attitude can make any task, pleasant or otherwise easier to tackle. Lemon to offer a measure of protection from airborne viruses & Ylang Ylang (now this one always gets a reaction) used to relax, not stupify, but it always gets an oooohhhh!!!! when I explain that Ylang Ylang is well known for its aphrodisiac properties, bet that little bit of info has raised some interest!! Calm down there is not enough in the blend to have this reaction, now I usually get 'oh, thats a shame!' or 'thats a let down' all good natured comments & always raises a smile or two.

It was the potential of this aromatherapy programme which got me hooked onto learning more & to helping Jackie on our side of the 'pond'. Due to Jackie being asked to create something to help those affected by Alzheimer's I began a whole new career & to those who instigated this I will always be truly grateful. I have a wonderful career, one which I truly love, live & breathe, it has changed the way I see medication (I still believe in conventional medication & still pop a headache pill or two, when needed -we should have room in our lives for both conventional & natural remedies - each has its own time & place - its for you to know when this is). My family & I have never been so healthy, even a common cold daren't stay around more than a day or 2 at the most, its zapped with a combination of essential oils.

The programme is very successful in the USA & is welcomed by carers in the UK, obviously the healthcare system in each country is different & therefore the residents of the USA are more willing to try & be receptive to alternative options to expensive medications. I do not lose hope that more people in the UK will benefit from these soft & gentle blends.

I thoroughly enjoy meeting the carers & those with Alzheimer's as they are warm, welcoming & ready to enjoy a light hearted discussion, believe it or not, I do ask for audience participation, its not just me talking, I do let them get more than 1 word in.

I have learnt the art of public speaking, (my husband never doubted me!! can't think why?). I remember my first presentation, I was shaking like a leaf & didnt think i'd done too badly & everyone said how much they enjoyed it. I returned home to tell Russell how it had gone & said 'You know I can cope with talking for a living.' to which he replied 'You don't say, I never doubted it for a minute, you should earn us a fortune then!!'. Charming, no fortune, yet but I do enjoy it.

Aromatherapy can be fun when used in soaps, bath fizzes, foam bath, etc but I never forget the serious side, the side that can alleviate pain, relieve itching & in the words of Pat Bishop RN at the first nursing home in Aiken, South Carolina, 'Aromatherapy has helped my residents regain quality of life.'
or (Jackie's website, with lots of information,videos).

[Yvette Segal]

Thanks Helen, I will have a look.

Sabine, no you don't sound patronising at all and I agree with you, I do take my son with. Sadly, who knows how much longer my dad will be with us and now that my son is at an age that he will remember him when he is gone which is nice to know. It's sad to think that he may not be around long enough that my daughter will remember him as she is only 8 months but at least I have photo's of both of them with him and when she is older I can tell her about him.

[Sabine]

Yvette, I am so sorry to hear about your dad. When my father died, his sister made my niece go into his room and say good bye and although she was extremely distressed she was also thankful that she didn't miss this opportunity. It may sound lecturing and awful, but I believe that children can deal with these situations and you mustn't keep your son away from your father. It is very hard but one has to try and explain what is going on as it is life and I am sure you will feel much better explaining the situation rather than giving in to the easier route of keeping your son out.
Does that sound patronising? I just wanted to say you have my thoughts with you and my best wishes.

[Sabine]

Oh, and once I am up in Norfolk: can you hold a speech there if I can get a venue organised?

[Sabine]

That is such an informative blog, Helen. I am hooked. I want to sell those blends on my website (why didn't you push me earlier!! You should always push me). It's not just about butter puddings with chocolate (yummy) but also about the more serious sides to aromatherapy and anything that can be done to widen the availability of your products can only be a good thing. Apart from being cheaper than the chemical drugs, they are also really effective (I know from own experience with the Harmony oil). And the possibility of getting Alzheimers or Parkinsons disease myself (lets face it - nobody is safe) is really worrying. I have a section "Health Products" where I could sell those blends for you (must have lost sight with all the other bits and bobs going on).

[Helen Hammond]

Arrgg, dont know where the links keep disappearing to!!
www.scentsiblesolutions.co.uk
www.scentsiblesolutions.net
the latter is Jackie's Website

[Helen Hammond]

Hi Yvette
The links are just text, cant seem to get them to be clickable.
They are

&

The blends have worked on all stages of Alzheimer's but as with everything, they help some more than others. It's not guaranteed & I always tell this to people, its no miracle when it does help its wonderful.

It must be heartbreaking for you, watching your Dad but at least he's one of the lucky ones to have caring family who love him.

[Yvette Segal]

I must be missing something - I still can't see the links Helen, sorry. I second Nikki, you really are doing amazing work. I didn't realise these new products are for the later stage. It's good to read about that because with regards to Alzheimer's all medication is for the earlier stages and once a sufferer reaches a certain point there is nothing for them.

Nikki, it can be tough at times. My dad was diagnosed at a very young age. He was only in his early 50's when he started showing signs of Alzheimer's and was about 52 when he was diagnosed. It is hard for my mum because she was at an age where all their children had moved out and they should both be enjoying their lives together. The disease has progressed fairly slowly but every so often there is a jump in it's progression but the last year or two my dad has had a big decline and it's very upsetting to see. He is now at the stage where he seems to have constant chest infections because he is losing the ability to swallow which is very hard to see.

I have always believed in taking my children with to visit him to see their papa but my son is now at an age where he is a bit more understanding of what is going on and he gets really upset seeing him.

[Helen Hammond]

Having a moment, can't seem to get the links to show up, but have added them in manually now.

It is extremely rewarding & also very humbling to meet these people who are living with this daily.
The programme is also used in a number of hospices throughout the USA, but not the appetite blend as the programme in these wonderful places is used to make people more comfortable in their final days with us.

There is also a study starting soon into how the oils can help with Parkinson's. Anything that can help must be very welcome & it is the people who are at the front line in dealing with the problems their loved ones face with these diseases that are the most willing to listen & cannot believe (well yes they can believe, if you know what I mean) that the powers that be, dismiss anything like this so easily.

I realise that I am offering a product for sale & that people are wary & that is how they should react, there are too many people trying to take advantage but even with documented studies by Professors, Nurses, etc it is still hard work but not impossible. I still believe in the programme & always will do, when you see how it has helped it makes all the knock backs worth while.

Thank you for your lovely comments.

[Nikki - Web Mums]

Helen, that was a really informative blog so thank you for sharing that. Sounds like you are doing amazing work and I really hope you can raise the awareness of Aromatherapy use in this country. As usual - I'll help in any way that I can if you need it.

Yvette, that must be bloody tough! My friend lost her nan last year and she had Alzheimers. She was incredibly close to her nan and it was heart-breaking to see her lose a bit more of her nan each week. It's such wicked and cruel illness.

[Yvette Segal]

Hi Helen, the link seems to be missing.

This must be very rewarding for you. My dad has had Alzheimer's for about 14 years or so now and is at a very advanced stage and has been in a nursing home for about 4 years. I have heard that there is very little research done into it and into conventional medicine for it. A few years ago my dad was taken off the Alzheimer's medication because they believed that it was no longer a benefit to him anymore.

The Alzheimer's Cafe is a great idea. There is nothing like that in our area.