The Effect of Aromatherapy Application on Cognitive Functions and Daytime Sleepiness in Older Adults Living in a Nursing Home

We examined the effect of aromatherapy on the cognitive functions and daytime sleepiness of older adults living in a nursing home. The research was a pretest and posttest design, which was conducted without a control group. The sample included 39 elders. A rosemary-lemon oil mixture was smelled by elders in the mornings for a week. After a 1-week washout period, lavender oils were smelled in the evenings for a week. After application of the rosemary-lemon oil mixture, the mean score of participants' daytime sleepiness was lower, but that decline was not statistically meaningful (P> .050). After the same application, the mean score of the participants' cognitive functions was significantly lower (P
Source: Holistic Nursing Practice - Category: Nursing Tags: FEATURES Source Type: research