Conclusion: The study indicated that elderly wanted to live at home. Life could be described as a battle with many trials, but they did not give up. They found happiness in life and events and expressed gratitude over physical and mental resources that were still intact. They had a life courage strengthened by life experience, gratitude to life, and by enjoying activities. Life courage was supported by having a box with happy memories, reminiscing about happenings in the past, assisted by nurses to meet the challenges of living with illness and aging. Introduction: The present study, which is a part of a larger project, will focus on the assistance for the chronically ill older persons living at home. (Chronic disease is one of the biggest health problems among Norways oldest citizens.) Getting in harmony with oneself may be a movement toward acceptance of chronic suffering and disease, conditioned by the existence of hope and life courage (Delmar et al. 2005). The aim of this paper is to describe how older persons living at home experience their chronically illness in relation to the assistance. Methods: Data was given by in-depth interviews, sample 13 elderly, women (n=5) and men (n=8), ages 80?94 living at home with chronically disease, receiving help from home nursing care. Transcripted data were analysed using manifest content analyses. Results: The identified meaning units could be described in three categories Assistance from family, Assistance through facilities and Assistance from home nursing care. The family contributed with practical help and social contact. The facilities contributed to a feeling of safety and reduced their dependence on others. The nurses were helpful, but receiving help from busy nurses emphasized dependency and they felt sorry for the nurses.