The project generates knowledge about the sensory aspects of scents and about combating odour nuisances and creating good scent environments. The first step in the project has been to gather experience internally in Aarhus Municipality. In parallel, we carry out a survey of Danish and international literature on the senses with a focus on odour nuisances and scent environments. The literature search is centred around scientific databases, but with a focus on experience from practice in the hospital and care sector as well as commercial use of fragrance addition. 

The field study is informed by the literature study and the internal preliminary study in Aarhus Municipality. The purpose of the field study is to map how the scent environments are experienced by residents, relatives, volunteers, staff etc. In a number of Aarhus nursing homes. It is investigated via participant observation and interviews. In this way, the study generates knowledge about which scents and smells there are in the nursing homes, what smells and what smells good and who notices the smell or scent and in what way it affects social relations and e.g., the appetite of residents and guests. In addition, it examines how to work with odour nuisances and scent environments in nursing homes in order to develop practice recommendations regarding the improvement of good scent environments and research into what good scent environments are and what significance they have for e.g., communities and quality of life.

The project resulted in an oral debriefing, a report with best practice recommendations and research articles.

Susanne Højlund Pedersen

Johanne Korsdal Sørensen

Sofie Kønig Wilms

Nina Berholt Birkedal