The benefits of diffusing essential oils in the palliative care unit

The Foundation awarded this prize to Dr Hanane Besselièvre and her medical team, with Yann Bubien, Director of the Angers University Hospital, Christine Pesce, Deputy Director of the St Nicolas Hospital, and the members of the Foundation’s Aromatherapy Steering Committee in attendance. In 2010, the CLUD Group (Pain Management/Palliative Care Committee), under the supervision of Dr Hanane Besselièvre and Valérie Le Marre, nursing officer, initiated a global non-medicated approach with a view to improving the treatment conditions of elderly patients. The diffusion of essential oils in rooms and common areas, combined with the organisation of relaxing touch workshops using a preparation based on essential oils, highlighted certain benefits for the patients: unpleasant odour control, stimulation of sensory and memory functions, maintenance of social interaction, reduction in anxiety, aggressiveness and sleep disorders etc. These practices also transform the care atmosphere, with a positive effect on the caregivers by putting them in a better emotional frame of mind vis-à-vis the patients. They could help combat the risk of burnout. These initiatives help the Saint Nicolas Hospital take a fresh look at the institutionalised elderly who “generally suffer from negative social perceptions, relating in particular to the image of old age and places of residence”.

Professor Robert Anton, chairman of the Foundation’s Aromatherapy Steering Committee, stated: “What convinced us about Dr Besselièvre’s initiatives, in addition to the quality of his research, is the commitment of the entire hospital to this project, reflected in the involvement and training of all caregivers”.