Elderly people suffering from chronic diseases: beyond therapeutic adherence, looking after the well-being of the elderly person

Introduction. Across the world, chronic diseases represent a growing emergency for health services. Living with a chronic condition has countless consequences on the quality of life at any age, but for the elderly it can represent a disrupting challenge. The chronically ill elderly people therefore are more likely to be exposed to a greater risk of maladjustment than young people. The current paper aims to present the results of an observational study conducted before and during the pandemic emergency which involved several elderly people afflicted with diabetes and secondary steoporosis.Objective. The analysis aimed to understand which adjustment strategies were employed by the elderly of the sample and what are the circumstances that enable or prevent them from doing so. Methods. According to a phenomenological perspective, some qualitative interviews were conducted by means of dialogic mediation tools. Results. Most of the elderly involved in this analysis seemed able to cope with their condition through specific adaptation strategies, such as hiding their pathology from friends or idealizing their past, strategies which, however, do not always have an evolutionary outcome. This appears to be mainly due to a low level of education and the affiliation with a patriarchal model of culture and gender. Conclusion. as adherence is a consequence of the adjustment process and not vice versa, healthcare professionals should learn how to stimulate patients to grow in spite of and thanks to the adversities that affect them.