The Nature Support Model for Dementia: a conceptual idea for green nursing home environments designed to support well-being throughout the last stages of dementia

Dementia is one of the world’s greatest public health challenges. An increasing number of studies point to contact with nature in the form of green views and stays in green environments as a non-pharmacological way of supporting the well-being of persons with dementia. This article introduces the Na...

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Main Authors: Victoria Linn Lygum, Nanet Mathiasen, Anne Kathrine Frandsen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1567619/full
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author Victoria Linn Lygum
Nanet Mathiasen
Anne Kathrine Frandsen
author_facet Victoria Linn Lygum
Nanet Mathiasen
Anne Kathrine Frandsen
author_sort Victoria Linn Lygum
collection DOAJ
description Dementia is one of the world’s greatest public health challenges. An increasing number of studies point to contact with nature in the form of green views and stays in green environments as a non-pharmacological way of supporting the well-being of persons with dementia. This article introduces the Nature Support Model for Dementia, a conceptual idea that can be used to design green environments at nursing homes for people with dementia intended to support the user’s health and well-being. The model is evidence-based and reposes on studies on user specific design of green environments. Furthermore, it builds on existing conceptual models for the design of supportive green environments. It caters to nursing home residents in the final stages of dementia decline. It considers their increasing needs for assistance and meets the needs for safety and security. The model was developed in connection with an evidence-based design process resulting in an architectural proposal for a nursing home. A presentation of this proposal illustrates how the model can be used in practice to facilitate architectural programming and the design of green nursing home environments intended to be supportive.
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spelling doaj-art-a27aa09a1a8740bdb2941b99f64876412025-08-20T03:46:33ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-06-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15676191567619The Nature Support Model for Dementia: a conceptual idea for green nursing home environments designed to support well-being throughout the last stages of dementiaVictoria Linn LygumNanet MathiasenAnne Kathrine FrandsenDementia is one of the world’s greatest public health challenges. An increasing number of studies point to contact with nature in the form of green views and stays in green environments as a non-pharmacological way of supporting the well-being of persons with dementia. This article introduces the Nature Support Model for Dementia, a conceptual idea that can be used to design green environments at nursing homes for people with dementia intended to support the user’s health and well-being. The model is evidence-based and reposes on studies on user specific design of green environments. Furthermore, it builds on existing conceptual models for the design of supportive green environments. It caters to nursing home residents in the final stages of dementia decline. It considers their increasing needs for assistance and meets the needs for safety and security. The model was developed in connection with an evidence-based design process resulting in an architectural proposal for a nursing home. A presentation of this proposal illustrates how the model can be used in practice to facilitate architectural programming and the design of green nursing home environments intended to be supportive.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1567619/fulldementianursing homehealth designlandscape architecturenaturegreen environment
spellingShingle Victoria Linn Lygum
Nanet Mathiasen
Anne Kathrine Frandsen
The Nature Support Model for Dementia: a conceptual idea for green nursing home environments designed to support well-being throughout the last stages of dementia
Frontiers in Psychology
dementia
nursing home
health design
landscape architecture
nature
green environment
title The Nature Support Model for Dementia: a conceptual idea for green nursing home environments designed to support well-being throughout the last stages of dementia
title_full The Nature Support Model for Dementia: a conceptual idea for green nursing home environments designed to support well-being throughout the last stages of dementia
title_fullStr The Nature Support Model for Dementia: a conceptual idea for green nursing home environments designed to support well-being throughout the last stages of dementia
title_full_unstemmed The Nature Support Model for Dementia: a conceptual idea for green nursing home environments designed to support well-being throughout the last stages of dementia
title_short The Nature Support Model for Dementia: a conceptual idea for green nursing home environments designed to support well-being throughout the last stages of dementia
title_sort nature support model for dementia a conceptual idea for green nursing home environments designed to support well being throughout the last stages of dementia
topic dementia
nursing home
health design
landscape architecture
nature
green environment
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1567619/full
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