Sleep and relaxation couldn’t be better for residents at Heywood Rural Health (HRH) thanks to the introduction of aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy is the use of pure essential oils derived from many parts of plants including shrubs and trees, flowers, leaves, bark, resin, rind, berries and rhizome.

Aromatherapy has many therapeutic benefits and is a complementary therapy and not a replacement for medical treatment.

HRH Aged Care services advisor Rebecca (Bec) Ross studied aromatherapy for six years to obtain a master’s in clinical aromatherapist qualification, with speciality training in palliative care, aged care and menopausal women.

Bec said aromatherapy would provide residents and patients with a more holistic approach and can use the treatment to aim to produce a physical, spiritual, emotional and mental state of wellbeing.

“Aromatherapy has grown exponentially over the last 20 to 30 years, and becoming a more popular complementary therapy, and for the residents, we find that it works very well alongside conventional medicines and treatments, Bec said.

“The therapeutic benefits can improve your sleep and enhance relaxation, which can help to reduce some falls, because when people have a better-quality sleep, they’re less restless.

“People that suffer from depression and anxiety can use certain oils to help improve and uplift their moods.

“We also use oils to stimulate fond memories. For residents residing in the dementia wing, we can use certain oils to assist with reducing agitation, restlessness and stress. Some of the grounding and calming oils can certainly assist with reducing some of those symptoms.

“The oils can also benefit your resilience to colds and flus, as certain oils contain antiviral and antibacterial properties”.

Aromatherapy is also used in palliative care at HRH to provide comfort and soothing for the resident, such as assisting with body/mind relaxation and breathing. It can also be beneficial for the resident’s family when visiting.

The special therapy is delivered by using either electronic diffusers, gentle hand massage or pocket pouches, for example, a resident who likes to wander can have the pouch in their shirt pocket.

Bec has assisted six other staff members to train in aromatherapy so they can support the program and help deliver the treatment to residents.

The training involves understanding how to use essential oils safely, prepare blends, document outcomes and support residents wellbeing.

Residents are prepared for aromatherapy by performing a skin patch test to make sure there are no skin irritations, reactions or contraindications to their current regime. The Aromatherapy team will assess their symptoms and Bec will choose oils that will assist them and of course making sure the resident also enjoys the scent.

“A lot of elderly people have spent many enjoyable years in their gardens or kitchens baking.  They might have cooked with herbs such as rosemary or thyme or planted roses or lavender in the garden”, Bec said.

“It’s lovely to evoke those really special memories”.

“We’ve got some different types of grounding oils and some more suited to the males’ senses. We can use oils like vetiver, frankincense and sandalwood, those really earthy, woody aromas”.

The aromatherapy program at HRH was rolled out in March 2025, after about six months of preparation and development.

Since March, many of the residents have embraced Aromatherapy and found it a great benefit.

Resident, Annette Murphy has been using the oils since its introduction to the aged care facility and said she is “more than pleased”.

“I have lavender, frankincense and geranium in my diffuser,” she said. “That’s during the day and then at nighttime I have lavender and marjoram and that usually goes on at about 8 o’clock at night.

“Beforehand, I wasn’t sleeping very well at all.  We decided Bec would come up and see me, and she said we’ll try this, and it worked. It definitely works.

“I’ve been a late sleeper anyway, but I know I sleep right through now and wake up okay in the morning.

“If I had my choice, I would make sure that everybody had the opportunity use aromatherapy, not to be told you have to have it, but to make it known that you can benefit from it.

“It is really beneficial not only for my sleeping, but for relaxation.  It just takes the edge off things.

Photo from left: Bec Ross (Aged Care Service Advisor) and Annette Murphy (HRH Resident)

Thank you to the Portland Observer for this wonderful article and the supplied photo.