Background: Caring for older persons is shaped by societal, cultural and institutional frameworks. In the Mediterranean context, informal caregiving and strong family involvement are dominant, while Nordic countries traditionally function within a universal public care model, though these dynamics are changing. While there is a constant re-evaluation with regard to who is involved in caring, and to what extent, nurses play a pivotal role in safeguarding dignity and holistic care despite contextual differences that occur across systems. Yet little is known about how nurses experience caring across different normative landscapes. Aim: The aim was to describe the meaning of caring for older persons based on the lived experiences of registered nurses in two distinct cultural and healthcare contexts, Greece and Sweden. Methods: A phenomenological approach grounded in reflective lifeworld research guided the overall research. Findings: Caring emerged as a balancing act between organisational demands, ethical commitment, and relational presence, where navigating family involvement, existential concerns, and end-of-life care was essential to sustaining the person’s dignity, autonomy, and identity. An authentic embodied presence of the nurse was described as essential in preserving continuity in the person’s identity and life story, offering meaning and coherence through time. Caring was closely connected to family involvement, particularly in the Greek context where family is central to caregiving. Nurses reveal both the opportunities and tensions this creates underscoring their crucial role in navigating autonomy, relationships, and trust. Conclusions: Across contexts, caring was revealed as a deeply relational practice that transcends cultural differences, affirming the universality of dignity and presence in care. The knowledge gained highlights key foundations for person-centered care in community and institutional contexts. These insights can guide nursing education and policy to strengthen holistic, culturally responsive care and to improve the lives of older persons in existentially vulnerable situations.