Supporting older adults living with multiple chronic conditions

This qualitative study was conducted using focus groups to explore the strategies commonly employed by older adults (N = 37) to manage multiple chronic conditions. Key strategies identified were relating with health care providers, medicating, exercising, changing dietary patterns, seeking information, relying on spirituality and/or religion, and engaging in life. Although social support was not mentioned as a discrete strategy, the participants' social networks were embedded in all of the categories. This study supports building a partnership of care in which nurses and other health care professionals function in supportive and educative roles to enhance the older person's lifelong self-care management and ability to stay in control of multiple chronic health conditions.