The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of community-dwelling older adults living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a rural community in Northern Thailand. The study was grounded in Parker and Barry’s model of community nursing practice model based on the concepts and values of respect, persons in their wholeness, and caring in nursing. Data were generated and analyzed using Giorgi’s phenomenological approach. Four themes were revealed: confronting a life-threatening illness, caring for self, keeping meaningful relationships, and living guided by spiritual beliefs. The meaning of the experience was synthesized as finding balance between living with a threatening illness and living meaningful lives.

This study proposes a novel cooperative caring model for older adults with dementia. Crucially, in this model, nurses need to understand older adults with dementia as active contributors to caring interactions rather than passive recipients of care. Our approach emphasizes that a caring relationship develops by virtue of complementary cooperation, one through which both parties make positive contributions to the other party's actions. With such an approach, the active role of older adults with dementia is revealed, which creates a positive cycle wherein both parties change.