Severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a family's everyday life in Finland: perceptions of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their spouses

The aim of this study is to describe the experiences of people with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in their everyday lives by using the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Five people with COPD and four spouses participated in the study.

The data were collected by thematic personal interviews and were analyzed by deductive content analysis. The findings describe the impairment of body function of people with COPD, they provide knowledge of those factors that promote the well-being of people with COPD, how they cope on a daily basis, and the importance of their spouse.

Knowledge about COPD for all health-care professionals is a precondition to ensure that people receive the help they need. People with COPD found it important to have a care relationship with their own treatment unit. The findings of the present study showed that peer support was an important matter.