Ute i naturen lever jeg. Pasienters opplevelser med natur i spesialisert nevrologisk rehabilitering

Background: A holistic approach dominates when it comes to rehabilitation. The patient’s priorities and involvement are crucial to the quality of life, the ability for the patient to succeed and his or her feel of coherence. Research indicates that outdoor activities can have positive effects on physical, psychological sociable and spiritual levels. However, more research is needed regarding what specific designs of treatment are being carried out and how the different groups of patients respond to these. Purpose and thesis: This paper will try to establish an insight into how patients with neurological diseases perceive outdoor treatment. Furthermore, it will look into which experiences give the patient a sense of succeeding and how the patient will see the social setting of outdoor treatment activities. Finally, it will try to study how outdoor activities serve as an arena for training cognitive alertness and recognition. How do patients with neurological diseases perceive nature as an arena for rehabilitation? Methodology: Ten patients at the section of specialized neurological rehabilitation were selected for qualitative semi-structured interviews. Results: Being outdoor with other patients represents a unique opportunity for establishing a valuable community, where the informants experience joy, positive distraction, gratitude and a sense of feeling useful again. It also gives motivation by being a positive contrast to the institution. The varieties of the nature itself and the outdoor activities give inspiration and a feeling of access to life. Sensing the small things in nature increases the level of attention and stimulates their memory. An altered experience of time makes them more «present» in the nature. Through the outdoor activities the informants gain self-knowledge and a more positive attitude to the future. Conclusion: Outdoor activities in nature has a health promotion effect during the stay as a part of the rehabilitation and can be seen as a valuable arena for preparing the patients for a life after a neurological disease/damage. Key words: nature, neurology, brain damage, stroke, quality of life, succeeding, motivation, stress, cognition, memories, perception