The science is in, and it is true that a slowing metabolism rate and reduced enzyme production can lead to the “Old Person Smell”. While an unpleasant subject, it is a fact of life. The formal name for one of these odour sources is Nonenal. This is from an inability to breakdown Omega-7 oils, which then make their way to the skin surface.

“Furthermore, analysis of skin surface lipids revealed that omega7 unsaturated fatty acids and lipid peroxides also increased with aging and that there were positive correlations between the amount of 2-nonenal in body odour and the amount of omega7 unsaturated fatty acids or lipid peroxides in skin surface lipids. 2-Nonenal was generated only when omega7 unsaturated fatty acids were degraded by degradation tests in which some main components of skin surface lipids were oxidatively decomposed using lipid peroxides as initiator of an oxidative chain reaction. The results indicate that 2-nonenal is generated by the oxidative degradation of omega7 unsaturated fatty acids, and suggest that 2-nonenal may be involved in the age-related change of body odour.”

We all wonder about such things, but few have had the desire to find out if there was such a things as “Old Person Smell”. This problems can be made worse by taking certain medication, ingesting “Health Food” like garlic, and when incontinence is part of the person’s life. Along with decreased mobility comes the difficulty of thorough cleaning, keeping up to dishwashing, and other cleaning duties like emptying the vacuum routinely.

All this adds up to that stale, musty smell in senior apartments, condos, and homes. One of the first things to do it arrange for someone to help with routine cleaning. Special tubs for seniors allow them to maintain their well-being better. There is no inference that seniors are neglectful of their care. They might actually be better at personal care than most.

One of the very best habits for seniors is to get them out of the house for a break while the Fresh Air Experts at OdorXout Ottawa give the home a full ozone treatment. Every foul or subtle odour will be eliminated. The house will also be sanitized at the same time. Breathing may improve as pollen and other pollutant are eliminated by this process.

For people with pets or the elderly, an ozone treatment of the home or condo every one to two months is suggested by the National Ozone Association.

OdorXout have affiliates in many cities with offices in the greater Ottawa-Gatineau area and also serving Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston and Belleville areas of Ontario. Call OdorXout Ottawa at (613) 702-4450 for assistance, and a professional Fresh Air Expert will arrive to take care of any odour problem. As an extra benefit, the building will be sanitized and indoor air toxins removed. Treatment run 3-4 hours, and there is no chemical residue. This is a very Green process.