# What's up with "elderly stench?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720 "2007-07-13T23:29:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![iftheresaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecae2f/32.png) [@iftheresaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iftheresaway)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/41 "2007-07-15T23:23:27Z")
I work in a drugstore, so the majority of my customers are old or elderly, and I agree that it’s a lot of those things rolled, plus the fact that you really do lose your sense of smell as you get older (most people do not realize this, which is why I get so many women complaining about how perfume “these days” doesn’t have any smell). I should also point out that, in my experience, the vast majority of older people don’t smell, it’s just that the ones who do are very noticable. ---
**Author:** ![Thinktank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Thinktank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thinktank)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/42 "2007-07-15T23:27:41Z")
Hey, my dad is in his 60’s and he has the “old person smell”. I can confirm that he takes a shower everyday, but recently I borrowed a pen off his desk to write a post-it note for myself and smelled “old person”. I couldn’t figure it out until I smelled the pen itself (made of plastic). I couldn’t believe how saturated with this mildewy smell a ordinary ink pen could hold on it! It’s my theory that it’s definitely coming out of his pores; probably from multiple uses of the same pen- sweating on it each time. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/43 "2007-07-16T03:32:24Z")
[QUOTE=Jennshark] I’ve watched three grandparents die slow and undignified deaths with Alzherimer’s and every day I see little old proud neighbor sitting on her porch reading, my heart is grateful. [/QUOTE] There is no other way to say this: You are a good soul. I really respect the care you are giving to your neighbor. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/44 "2007-07-16T03:48:00Z")
Lots of reasons which have been noted: more flabby pockets of skin; forgetting; dangers associated with bathing and showering; meds; clothes; poor sense of smell and being unable to detect the odor, etc. Actually, the nursing home my dad was in, and the one a friend’s mom is in right now, had/have no discernible scent of urine, unless you are unfortunate enough to arrive at the sub-acute floor when they’re changing Depends and bedding. The staff were also quite good about keeping the aforementioned dad and mom cleaned up on a regular basis. At least they could do it more safely than we could do at home. One of the local hospitals, on the other hand, smelled of piss no matter when you went in. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/45 "2007-07-16T08:57:13Z")
[QUOTE=Cartooniverse] Why you DO appear fresh as a daisy ! [/QUOTE] But have you ever actually sniffed a daisy? They smell like Marmite and wee. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/46 "2007-07-16T12:50:43Z")
[QUOTE=Cartooniverse] There is no other way to say this: You are a good soul. I really respect the care you are giving to your neighbor. [/QUOTE] :o Blushing :o I just think that we all have a responsibility to take care of one another . . . and, Universe willing, we’ll all be elderly and in need someday. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/47 "2007-07-16T15:15:43Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] But have you ever actually sniffed a daisy? They smell like Marmite and wee. [/QUOTE] If you think they’re bad try sniffing French Marigolds…fermented piss ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/48 "2007-07-16T15:34:10Z")
While all the aforementioned causes can contribute to overall odor, there’s one cause unique to aging persons: a buildup of levels of [palmitoleic acid](http://web-japan.org/trends00/honbun/tj990921.html). As referenced to in the link, Shiseido has a line of products that claims to minimize the problem. (I have no idea how or how well they work.) ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/49 "2007-07-16T15:54:40Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] But have you ever actually sniffed a daisy? They smell like Marmite and wee. [/QUOTE] -=-gritting teeth=- I was paying the young lady a **COMPLIMENT**!!! 😛 Fine. I shall amend said compliment. Why, you smell fresh as a drained pond on an August day. Better? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/50 "2007-07-16T16:49:59Z")
[QUOTE=Cartooniverse] Why, you smell fresh as a drained pond on an August day. Better? [/QUOTE] Uh, no. I’ve smelled drained ponds. You shoulda been in Iowa in 1988 during the drought, when the creeks went dry and the carp died by the hundreds. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720/51 "2007-07-16T18:49:13Z")
I sense I’ve lost you. 😃 Imagine? " Oh god, she’s perfect. She glides into a room, ethereal in floating fabric, skin aglow, reeking like a hundred dead carp… my goddess. " [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-elderly-stench/411720.md?page=2)