My mom just turned 87. For years, she used to be known as "The Bloodhound" because her sense of smell was extra-ordinary. Though it's declined somewhat these days, she stills has a sense of smell. She can still detect when something in the refrigerator has gone bad and then spends an inordinate amount of time trying to find the source so she can dispose of it.
She doesn't eat as much as she used to (she used to eat a banana a day to help prevent leg cramps during the night...these days she can only eat a half of a banana). She doesn't cook like she used to anymore. I have a brother who lives in her area who comes over once a week to cook her dinner and then make "TV dinners" she can reheat in the microwave, or freeze.
My father smoked cigarettes for 30 years. When we would have our family meals he would literally blacken his food with ground black pepper or liberally douse it with Tabasco, so he could open up his sinuses and regain his sense of smell and enjoy his food. To this day, we "kids" are all chile-heads having copied his use of spices or hot sauces.
edited to change a "her" to a "he" .
