ABSTRACT
Background: Today there are about 150 000 people in Sweden with dementia and every year, about 25 000 people develop dementia. A dementia disease results in impaired cognitive abilities, leading to increased nursing needs. Dementia care should be based on person-centered care, which is a central concept in the nursing profession. Purpose: To describe the nurses’ experiences of caring for older people with dementia. Method: A systematic literature study with qualitative approach and descriptive synthesis where twelve articles have been included. Results: The analysis resulted in two themes and five subthemes. The first theme is Furtherance conditions with the subthemes; The importance of getting to know the elderly, The impact of the healthcare environment and The importance of education. The second theme is Challenging aspects with the subthemes; Difficulties in treatment and Lack of resources. Conclusion: Nurses’ feelings of satisfaction were experienced when the conditions for conducting person-centered care were present. The elderly`s life story, an adapted healthcare environment and increased knowledge through education promoted care of the elderly person with dementia. Nurses experienced challenges due to difficulties in managing the elderly`s behavior, lack of time and staff in dementia care.