Comfort & Care
- Laura Van Horn
- Jun 3
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 10
Using Herbs and Aromatherapy for Care During a Health Crisis
Life has a way of reminding us how small and fragile we truly are. Over the past month, I have been navigating one of the most challenging seasons of my life. While I will not go into full detail, I have been supporting elderly parents through a serious medical crisis, and I have found myself leaning more than ever on the Lord and being very thankful for His amazing gifts of aromatic plants.
When Everything Changes in a Phone Call
The night before my father's eighty-second birthday, I got a call that my mother's health was failing and that she was being taken to the hospital, with the possibility that she might not make it through the night. I was beyond helpless in that moment. There was nothing I could do except turn to the Lord in prayer. I caught a flight out the next morning and spent the next few days at my mother's bedside in constant prayer.
As I saw that she was on the road back to health, I felt comfortable heading back home to my family and homestead. Unfortunately, just a week later, I received another similar phone call. My emotions were in chaos, and my brain was running on fumes—it was rough beyond words.
My mother's health crisis started with bacterial pneumonia that was not adequately treated and consequently became quite complicated, spreading to the chest cavity and leading to severe sepsis. All of my siblings were there at her bedside, but unfortunately, one of them unknowingly brought a nasty viral respiratory infection. Once she realized she was sick, she went back home, but not before sharing it with my father. My father quickly developed a deep, phlegmy cough and fever, so I had to tell him to stay home while the rest of us were at the hospital.
To be honest, it was utterly overwhelming in every possible way.
Finding Help in the Garden
With some time in prayer, I was able to get my brain functioning just enough to realize that my parents have the most amazing garden. My mom loves succulents and pretty flowers, so the majority of her garden is ornamental, but she has thyme growing in many of the cracks between stones, the whole property is surrounded by impressive rosemary bushes, and they have the most amazing lemon tree I have ever seen.
So out I went to gather the medicinal plants needed to help my dad recover:
Thyme, rosemary, and lemon were used for aromatic herbal steaming 2-3 times a day to open the airways and carry antiviral activity directly to the lungs
Warm lemon-honey water to soothe his throat, uplift his mood, and fight the infection
Onion honey as an additional antiviral, throat soother - the honey and onion were gathered from his pantry
After just a day and a half of these home remedies, he was fever-free and his cough was nearly gone. Meanwhile, my sister, who had gone home and missed out on my remedies, had a much slower recovery.
Simple Aromatherapy
During the times I was at the house rather than the hospital, I was going out of my mind with worry. So I went around picking up and cleaning. I happened to find a bottle of peppermint essential oil, and that peppermint essential oil bottle went right into my pocket to become my secret weapon.
Whenever I heard any cough or sniffle from my father, I had him take a whiff. While at the hospital, I would have my mother take a whiff, too. I'm hoping you don't have personal experience with severe sepsis, but the complications can be... complicated. One complication for my mother is short-term memory loss reminiscent of dementia, as well as anxiety and depression. The peppermint "whiff therapy" helped lift my mother's mental fog and brighten her mood.
I would also take my turn whiffing the bottle when I needed a pick-me-up.
Sending Love, in a Scent
My mother is still in the hospital but will be transferring to a skilled nursing facility any day now for rehab. My father is still by her side as much as possible, with the peppermint essential oil. I am currently back home, but I still want to do all I can to support them through this challenging time.
Most of us have experienced how well aromatics can help during respiratory infections (peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus), but there is also plenty of research showing the benefits of aromatics for memory and cognition. One such exciting study done in 2023 shows that overnight aromatherapy diffusion can significantly improve cognition in older adults.
After reviewing several studies and considering the scent preferences of my parents, I have created a few personal aromatherapy inhalers to mail to my parents—simple blends for clarity, comfort, and respiratory support.
Zippy Inhaler
To open airways and energize the mind
5 drops orange (Citrus sinensis)
3 drops rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
2 drops eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata)
2 drops peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
Cheerful Inhaler
To lift the mood and open the airways
6 drops bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
3 drops orange (Citrus sinensis)
3 drops peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
Relaxing Inhaler
To unwind and relax after a long day
6 drops bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
4 drops black spruce (Picea mariana)
2 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Final Thoughts
We don’t always talk about the emotional toll of caregiving. But it is in those moments—when we are worried, stretched thin, and unsure what to do next—that the simple support of the Lord comforts us the most. Aromatic herbs are a great ally to turn to after leaning on the Lord. Yes, they have limitations, but they can also bring comfort, lift the spirit, and offer surprising support in difficult times.
Sometimes the smallest gestures—a whiff of peppermint, a cup of herbal tea, a handmade inhaler sent through the mail—become profound acts of love and connection.
My heart goes out to anyone else walking through difficult seasons with aging parents or loved ones. You're not alone in this journey.
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