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Ambient scenting in healthcare | handling bad smells

Scent marketing in the healthcare sector seems contradictory. After all, scent marketing is not one of the main tasks in a hospital. Yet it is very useful because of the bad smells that often hang around in nursing homes or hospitals. Thanks to the deep link between what we smell and how we feel, olfactory perception in healthcare has many applications. Hospital scenting makes the care facility a nicer place for patients and staff, . Keep reading to find out how to best use scenting in your care facility and for what purposes.

 

Why is scenting useful in healthcare?

There are always a lot of scents in healthcare. No matter how much you keep cleaning you can’t escape sweat, industrial cleaning products or incontinence odours. This, of course, is not pleasant for anyone. Especially if you have to work in it every day, it’s unpleasant. For patients, it can make the experience in your institution unnecessarily unpleasant or stressful. A better experience of smells in healthcare is therefore desirable. Ideally, you would like to get rid of these bad odours and replace them with ambient scents that people like. With an efficient odour control in healthcare this is possible. The reason why odours affect us so much is deeply connected to our brain.

 

How does smell work in our brain?

Our sense of smell is actually different from all our other senses. During the day we are much more aware of what we see and hear. Yet smells have a much greater impact on our emotions and our peace of mind. This is because of where our brains process smells. Because smell is the first sense to have evolved, it lies deep within our brains, near the place where emotions are regulated. Therefore, the connections between smell and emotions are very strong. Research has shown that what we smell determines 75% of our emotions. If something smells bad, we immediately feel uncomfortable. If we hear bad music, we don’t! In this way, the scent experience in health care can have a great influence.

 

 

What does scenting do in healthcare?

Scent marketing often emphasises the commercial benefits. It is said to increase the turnover and the number of impulse purchases. You might think that it makes little sense for a hospital. After all, there are few people who buy a heart transplant on impulse! However, scenting has considerable advantages in the care sector. You get rid of bad smells and you spread nice fragrances through the rooms. So you have a double advantage! That is why healthcare scenting offers concrete advantages for the staff and the patients.

 

What do patients gain from healthcare scenting?

The biggest benefit of hospital scenting for patients is the influence of scent on emotions. When there are bad smells in for instance a nursing home, it is very uncomfortable for patients. Even neutral smells such as cleaning products sometimes evoke bad emotions. This is because people associate these smells with negative memories, such as an operation in a hospital. In contrast, it has been shown that positive smells make a stay in a hospital a lot more pleasant.

Patients feel less anxious about an operation if there is a pleasant smell. For example, the scents of jasmine and citrus make us feel more relaxed and happy. Fragrances also influence how patients experience pain. With a pleasant smell, people experience pain as less bad and less intense, with a bad smell this is the other way around. With scenting in healthcare you get rid of bad smells and you can spread fine smells throughout the room.

 

And how does ambient scenting affect healthcare staff?

For the staff it is of course also much nicer to work in an environment that smells good. This is not the case in every nursing home. Because of the strong link with emotions, an environment with nice fragrances leads to more job satisfaction and a lower outflow. In a sector where the workload is high, every little bit of extra relaxation and job satisfaction is of course very welcome. Ambient scenting in the healthcare sector also has the effect of making people more effective in their work. Certain smells reduce stress, increase concentration or cognitive function. Ambient scenting in health care has many advantages.

 

Advantages of scenting in healthcare

• Removes bad odours. In hospitals and nursing homes there are often bad smells.
• Patients are more at ease. Scent diffusion makes patients less anxious and more relaxed. This makes their stay more pleasant.
• Greater job satisfaction. Staff who do not have to work in bad odours enjoy more their work.
• Improve the focus of your staff. Certain odours can improve the concentration and activity of your staff.
• Reduces stress. Patients and staff are less stressed in an environment with good fragrance.

 

Odour neutralization or scent diffusion?

Scenting in healthcare comes in roughly two variations. Odour neutralization and scent diffusion. With odour neutralization we mean the devices that make bad odours like sweat and incontinence disappear. This happens by breaking down the odour molecules on a molecular level. The result is a neutral odour. Scent diffusers go one step further. These devices add an odour to a room. With a professional scent diffuser you set exactly when you want which smell. It also ensures that the scent lingers in the room and does not disappear. This is done with ethereal scent oils.

 

 

Which scent device do I need?

If you want to get rid of bad smells, the Superscent is the best choice. This powerful device is suitable for rooms up to 210 square metres. By using the Superscent to actually break down bad smells, you are not masking the bad odour, but actually getting rid of it. Odour control at its best! This keeps the environment comfortable for patients and staff. If you want to experience smells, the Scent Experience is a very suitable choice. With this, you spread the scent you want, when you want it. This powerhouse among the scent machines has several variants with which it is suitable for up to 800m2. With our Scent Experience you create a nicer environment for the patients and your staff.

 

Need advice or more information?

Do you have questions about scenting in healthcare? Or do you need personal advice on what scenting can do for you? Explore the possibilities on our product page or call us at +31 20 646 4028.