Aroma care
The use of aromatherapy can improve your well-being and support therapeutic measures. It does not replace medical treatment, but complements it. Holistic care is important to us and aroma care plays an important part in this. Discover the benefits of aroma care on our dialysis ward and experience how it can improve your well-being and quality of life.
What we offer you at the dialysis centre
Aromatherapy care can be used successfully as a complementary care method for a wide range of complaints. We are happy to involve you in the selection of oils. The entire nursing team at the dialysis unit regularly undergoes further training in aroma care.
We have been successfully using aromatherapy care in our dialysis unit since 2011. More than half of our patients use this service regularly and appreciate it very much. Aroma care can support therapeutic measures in a variety of ways and contribute to your well-being. In aroma care, we use high-quality essential and plant oils, the effect of which unfolds via the skin, nose and the entire organism.
Essential oils
Essential oils are easily evaporated, oily extracts from plants with a characteristic odour of the plant of origin. By emitting their odour, they attract insects for pollination. In addition, these fragrances react to threats from their environment, they repel pathogenic microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria and they protect against pests, cold and heat. Microbiological investigations and scientific studies have shown that essential oils can have the same effect on humans.
Vegetable oils
Plant oils are metabolic products of plants. They are obtained by pressing oleaginous fruits and oilseeds. Due to their chemical structure, they are very similar to our skin lipids and can therefore penetrate the skin very well. They nourish, care for and also support the function of the cells. The fatty substances in vegetable oils attach themselves to the cell edges and have a regulating effect on them. Plant oils also act as carrier oils for essential oils. Mixing the two together creates aroma care blends for a wide variety of applications. Possible applications in aroma care are dry inhalation, embrocation, aroma stone, room spray, aroma nebuliser, washing, oil compress and cold compress.
Effectiveness of the application
Patients sometimes turn up for dialysis stressed due to fear of a negative outcome or because of the shunt puncture. Here we can have a positive effect with various essential oils on an emotional level. The oils also help with acute and chronic pain, which mainly affects older and long-term patients. In such situations, we use two different pain blends.
Essential oils can also be used very effectively in other ways, for example for colds.
Head of the care team of the dialysis centre
Anke Haas
Deputy Ward Manager Dialysis Centre
Spital Zollikerberg
Nephrologie und Dialysezentrum
Trichtenhauserstrasse 20
8125 Zollikerberg