Nature experience and well-being: Bird watching as an intervention in nursing homes to maintain cognitive resources, mobility, and biopsychosocial health

Abstract

The benefits of nature on well-being have been widely researched, while studies on the effects of nature-based interventions on specific target groups have only increased in recent years. We focused on nursing home residents and examined the extent to which experiencing nature (bird watching) influences their well-being. Residents with varying degrees of impairment were surveyed in a longitudinal study (N = 1684). A waitlist control group was also included. The effects of nature experiences on residents’ well-being were measured using external and self-reported instruments. The results indicate that such regular intervention has positive effects on maintaining cognitive resources, mobility, and biopsychosocial health. Moreover, well-being can be explained largely by the variables of the intervention rather than demographic data. The significance of emotional affinity toward nature is demonstrated. Therefore, this study suggests that bird watching has potential benefits for the well-being of nursing home residents.