Smell intake testing on admission helps long-term care homes track dementia risk. A 15-minute test establishes baseline smell ability and detects Alzheimer’s early.

The sense of smell is more powerful than most people realize—it can predict brain health. Smell intake testing in long-term care homes is a groundbreaking process that establishes a baseline of a resident’s ability to smell upon admission. With just a 15-minute test scoring out of 20, families and care teams can track how quickly and drastically smell changes over time.

New research from UChicago Medicine reveals that rapid smell loss may predict Alzheimer’s disease as accurately as genetic markers. Yet, until now, no standardized smell intake process has been included in long-term care admissions. Smelling Pink is leading the way in filling this critical gap.

Table of Contents

1. What is a Smell Intake Process?
2. Why Smell Testing Matters for Dementia Care
3. How the 15-Minute Intake Test Works
4. Benefits for Families and Long-Term Care Homes
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Get Started with Smelling Pink

What is a Smell Intake Process?

A smell intake process is a simple, standardized assessment performed when a resident is admitted to a long-term care home. Smelling Pink now offers a NEW Smell Therapy Intake Kit, providing all the tools needed to complete this quick and efficient test. In just minutes, the test evaluates a resident’s ability to recognize different scents and delivers a clear baseline score out of 20.

This baseline data is critical: it helps families, caregivers, and clinicians monitor changes in smell over time and detect early warning signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Learn more about Smelling Pink’s programs

Why Smell Testing Matters for Dementia Care

Recent studies show smell loss is more than a minor inconvenience—it’s a neurological signal.

• UChicago Medicine Findings: Rapid decline in sense of smell predicted smaller gray matter in brain regions linked to memory, worse cognition, and higher dementia risk.
• Comparable to Genetic Risk: Loss of smell was found to be as significant as carrying the APOE-e4 gene, a known Alzheimer’s risk factor.
• Brain Regions Affected: Changes were most evident in the amygdala and entorhinal cortex, both critical for memory and cognition.

By adding smell testing to intake, care homes gain a powerful tool for early detection and personalized care planning.

How the 15-Minute Intake Test Works

Smelling Pink’s Smell Intake Therapy Kit allows homes to quickly and accurately measure a resident’s smell ability.

Step-by-step process:

• Resident completes a 15-minute smell test.
• Results are scored out of 20 to determine baseline.
• Data is recorded in the resident’s intake file.
• Families and staff can track changes over time.

This process is simple, non-invasive, and cost-effective—yet it may reveal life-changing insights about cognitive health.

Benefits for Families and Long-Term Care Homes

• Baseline Benchmark: Know the resident’s smell ability at admission.
• Ongoing Monitoring: Track how quickly sense of smell declines.
• Early Alzheimer’s Indicator: Detect signs earlier, allowing better care planning.
• Peace of Mind: Families have tangible data about cognitive changes.
• Improved Care: Supports holistic and personalized dementia care.

FAQ

What is a smell intake test?
A 15-minute assessment that measures a resident’s ability to smell, scored out of 20.

Why hasn’t this been used before?
While research connects smell loss to dementia, intake testing has never been standardized in long-term care homes—until Smelling Pink.

Does every resident need it?
Yes. Every new resident should be tested upon admission to establish a baseline.

How does it help families?
Families gain clear, trackable data on how their loved one’s sense of smell changes, which may reflect Alzheimer’s progression.

Get Started with Smelling Pink

Smelling Pink provides training, tools, and intake kits to help long-term care homes implement smell testing today.

👉 Book a Smell Intake Demo with Smelling Pink

Related Articles & Services

• Why Smell Is So Important
• Do We Smell or Hear Scent? Exploring the Vibrational Power of Aromas
• What If We Could Detect Dementia 3 Years Earlier—Through Smell Loss?

About the Author

Tracy Pepe is the founder of Smelling Pink, a pioneer in scent therapy for dementia care, and a TED Talk speaker on the science of smell. She has authored multiple books on olfaction, including Why the Nose? and So, What’s All the Sniff About?

Watch Tracy’s TED Talk →