Sammanfattning
The sensory garden is understood as a cultivated area used in caring for persons who suffer
from dementia. There is previous knowledge about the significance of the sensory garden in
nursing homes, but we know little about how it can be developed as part of the nursing care of
older persons. Action research using appreciative interviews was conducted with thirteen
participants.
The aim of the study was to collect and illuminate nurses’, assistant nurses’ and
managers’ experiences and wishes about nature and sensory gardens, in order to increase
understanding of nature's possibilities and meaning in nursing home care. Findings show that
caregivers’ awareness of their personal relationship with nature can be a source of knowledge
for nursing care, and inspired by health geography, further perspectives for the development of
sensory gardens may be uncovered. The study forms the basis for nursing care intervention in
the community.