New invention uses the power of smell to boost appetite in people with dementia

Designed to tackle the problem of malnutrition in people with dementia, Ode is a device which creates food fragrances to entice eating and promote appetite in a subtle but powerful way.

The small and stylish product has been created in response to a Department of Health strategy ‘Living well with dementia’ which called on designers to invent a new service to encourage the independence and dignity of people living with dementia.

Founder of Ode, Ben Davis described how he and co-founder Lizzie Ostrom were given 20 weeks to explore the potential of the sensory stimulus of smell and developed Ode as a tool for carers and family members to encourage eating in those with dementia.

He said: “The onset of dementia results in the reduction in sensory stimulus and the ability to be independent declines.

“We saw there could be an opportunity to innovate as there are problems surrounding malnutrition and found one way around that could be to tap into the powerful sensory stimulus. We hadn’t seen anything using fragrance and so we set out to find out whether there was anything behind it.

“Through this process we developed food fragrances and worked with care centres, the NHS trust, carers and loved ones to find the most innocuous way of delivering a fragrance in a passive way.”

Creating fragrances for the Ode was a task taken on by designers alongside help from specialist dementia nutritionist Gwen Coleman, who championed the selection of appetising foods and lead to the creation of fragrances including fresh orange juice, a sweet smelling bakewell tart and homemade chicken curry.

Mr Davis said: “Although we initially wanted to create smells of well-balanced food, we were advised that more appetising foods with sweet or powerfully appealing smells would be more powerful. “We are continually developing and now have 12 fragrances with a range of seasonal, traditional and nostalgic menus because it is very subjective and down to what people like.”

Ode has been designed to promote the appetite of people with dementia by creating appealing and tasty fragrances which coincide with meal times using a built in timer.

Research into the device’s ability to increase appetite has been carried out, with 50 individuals and families living with dementia taking part. After 11 weeks of using Ode before mealtimes, half of participants reported a weight gain at an average of two kilo grams per person.

Mr Davis continued: “Ode prepares someone for the onset of eating and is not a literal trigger.

“There doesn’t appear to be a direct obvious correlation between people distinctly wanting to eat the food which is linked to our fragrances. It is clearly a complimentary part of care.

“The Ode prepares people for readiness and is a wellbeing device not a way to prevent dementia, but it is part of the tool box to maintain someone’s appetite.”

Fragrances created by the Ode recreate the experience of smelling homemade food cooking in nearby kitchens and enhance a person’s readiness to eat. The Ode is useful in places such as hospitals and care homes where kitchens might be too far away for residents to have an authentic experience of smelling food being cooked. It can also be used in a person’s own home to create stronger fragrances stimulating the senses for people with dementia to promote the idea of eating.

Mr Davis said: “We always have our main aim which is to support people to stay in their own home as long as possible.

“It is a very safe object, ultra-low power, the person doesn’t need to do anything and the Ode sits there, can be put out of the way and is very easy to use.”

For more information about Ode please visit: www.carehome.co.uk/supplier.cfm/searchazref/65432205163