My husband's sense of smell became compromised as dementia progressed but there were always some smells which brought him a sense of well-being.
His father was a boat builder and could turn his hand to any kind of carpentry, so the smell of wood and varnish was part of my husband's childhood memories. I got him involved in a local Men in Sheds group, and although he couldn't use the machinery there, he got a lot of satisfaction from varnishing furniture there, and the familiar smells of the workshop put him at ease.
Fruity smells were a particular favourite and I found a lemon shower gel and a lime shower gel which he particularly liked to use and which made him feel good.
He had a particular aftershave that he loved to wear and I always put a quick squirt of it on his wrist too, and he would happily sniff it at various times during the day.
Occasionally I would come across magazines with free samples of perfumes and aftershave - or with pages impregnated with those scents. I would collect them, then we'd both sniff them and decide which we liked best.
One of my husband's favourite jobs was being the first to open a new jar of coffee. It was a combination of the satisfying sound of popping the seal across the top of the jar, together with the sudden release of the smell of fresh coffee, that made it such a favourite job.
On the rare occasions my husband was off his food I found that the smell of onions, bacon or garlic frying would soon whet his appetite.
He used to pick mint leaves in the garden and crush them in his hand for the smell, which he loved.
