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You are here: Home / Aromatherapy / Essential Oils for Elderly People: Safe Ways to Use

Essential Oils for Elderly People: Safe Ways to Use

Last Updated December 31, 2019 By Julie Durham

If you’ve been around for a decent amount of time, you’ve likely heard of essential oils and their various benefits. You’re also probably at least somewhat aware of the fact that essential oils can be applied and ingested in multiple fashions. However, what you might not know is that essential oils should be used differently for individuals in various categories. This is especially true as it pertains to the elderly.

Benefits of Using Essential Oils to Care for the Elderly

As you’ve probably guessed, there are several benefits associated with using essential oils to care for the elderly. Essential oils have been known to help the elderly overcome the following health ailments:

  • Muscle soreness
  • Stress and nervous tension
  • Dry, cracked skin
  • Sore, tired feet
  • Arthritis
  • Common cold
  • Restlessness/poor quality of sleep

While essential oils can be helpful for the elderly, it’s important to note that all essential oils are not created equally. When allowing the elderly to come into contact with these substances, it’s very important that they only have exposure to the best essential oils companies.

How to Use Essential Oils

Before we cover the best essential oils companies and the oils which heal various ailments, it’s important to note that there are various methods of applying essential oils. Some methods are better than others, depending on the oil and the purpose of taking them. Ultimately, the various method of use comes down to a judgment call. Check this post to learn more about how to use essential oils effectively.

Suitable Essential Oils for the Elderly

At this point, you’re probably wondering which essential oils are most suitable for the elderly. However, this depends upon the purpose behind the use. As previously stated, essential oils are not created equally; this means that different oils serve different purposes.

Lavender Essential Oils

Lavender Essential Oil

If improving sleep quality and calming down emotionally are your goals, then you may find lavender to be one of the best essential oils. Lavender essential oils are widely known to improve emotional states and serve as antidepressants. Due to the nature of lavender essential oils, they are best applied topically or via inhalation. Elderly people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, restless sleep, anxiety, or disempowering emotional states will find lavender essential oils to be helpful.

Peppermint Essential Oils

Peppermint essential oils are well-known as substances which calm nerves, improve concentration and memory functions. For these reasons, peppermint essential oils can be incredibly advantageous for elderly people, particularly those who are dealing with certain health issues, such as dementia, depression, anxiety, etc. Peppermint essential oils are best applied via inhalation; one of the best ways applying this method to elderly people is via a nebulizer essential oil diffuser that uses no water. This allows elderly people to gradually ingest essential oils without overdoing it or upsetting their bodies by taking in too much at one time.

Rosemary Essential Oils

Similarly to lavender and peppermint essential oils, Rosemary essential oils have been known to provide great benefits to elderly people. This particular oil is a great fit for elderly people who sometimes struggle with their memory or with successfully carrying out daily tasks. Rosemary essential oils have furthermore been known to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and improve the recollection of past memories. This particular essential oil is best applied topically or via indirect inhalation.

Safe Use of Essential Oils for Older People

Regardless of how many benefits are associated with any particular essential oil, it’s absolutely critical to ensure that the right precautions are taken. As a general principle, elderly people should be sure that the essential oils of their choice are most advantageous to the ailment which they are seeking to rid themselves of.

Even more important is the certainty that essential oils are applied and consumed in a safe manner. The topical application of essential oils is not necessarily ill-advised for older people, but it should be done cautiously.

Moreover, it’s very imperative to make sure that there are no “overdoses” when older people consume essential oils. Consuming more than the recommended amount of essential oils will not strengthen or speed up positive results; conversely, “overdosing” on essential oils can actually cause great harm and be physically upsetting, especially for older people.

References:

  • Using pure essential oils to care for the elderly: https://www.inessence.com.au/how-to-use-pure-essential-oils-for-elderly
  • Manage Dementia’s Side Effects with These 7 Essential Oils: https://www.alzheimers.net/10-10-14-essential-oils-dementia/
  • Top 15 Most Popular Essential Oils to Get Started: https://aromatalking.com/most-popular-essential-oils/

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