The purpose of this thesis was to describe the paths of well-being of two elderly people with coronary artery disease and their experiences of how developing coronary artery disease changed their life and how they were supported in the self-care of the disease. The aim of the thesis was to bring out their experiences as experts on their own life.

The thesis was carried out as a qualitative research and case study was used as the research method. The data for the thesis was collected by conducting focused interviews with two individuals with coronary artery disease, in addition to interviewing two of their close relatives and one personal nurse. The interviews were conducted in the summer of 2015. The interviews were conducted face to face and in the case of one close relative as a telephone interview.

The results of the thesis indicated that the initial experiences of the interviewed elderly people after contracting the disease consisted of fairly similar stages. After recurring chest pains both had sought treatment. The tests, a rapid initiation of treatment and the treatment itself had been seen as empowering. In addition to pharmacotherapy, the other interviewee had an angioplasty and the other underwent coronary artery bypass surgery as forms of treatment. According to all of the interviewees contracting the disease and ageing were seen to affect life physically, mentally and socially.

Counselling and support had been received in the early stages of the disease during discharge and at home. Counselling and support in the hospital and during discharge had included surgical, pharmaceutical and lifestyle counselling. The elderly people felt that the support received at home consisted of mental/physical support and that the current support persons were their close relatives.

The elderly people felt that well-being means living a normal life and mobility. A positive mood was stated as a factor that improves well-being, while loneliness, poor physical condition, bad hearing and other illnesses were seen as factors that reduce well-being. The services of the sheltered home were seen as satisfactory and they were seen to correspond well to existing needs. The services consisted of health monitoring and pharmacotherapy. Hopes expressed concerning services that need development in the sheltered home concerned conversation partner activities, recreational activities and someone to accompany people to the sauna. According to all of the interviewees the communal atmosphere of the sheltered home was active and social.

According to the personal nurse the psychosocial and therapeutic methods of the sheltered home supported the elderly in self-care. Both interviewees and the personal nurse felt that self-care had worked well and the close relatives felt that it had worked varyingly depending on physical condition.

Based on this thesis, it could be concluded that the path of well-being is formed through individual factors. Coronary artery disease has long been one of the most common national diseases but there is little research on elderly patients’ experiences of developing the disease. This research should continue because it would provide important experiential knowledge that could be used to develop paths of well-being.