Overall aim: To describe the essence of autonomy and participation for older people in care, and how to promote this in care for them.

Method: A descriptive design with a phenomenological approach. Sixteen older people (I) and 13 registered nurses (II) participated in individual face-to-face interviews (I and II). Twelve case/care managers and supervisors participated in a focus group interview, they were grouped by profession, case managers, first line managers and local authority senior medicine advisors, four in each group and interviewed once (III and IV). The data analyses were guided by Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method (I and II) and the systematic text condensation by Malterud (III and IV).

Findings: The informants were in agreement that maintaining older people’s health and wellbeing promote autonomy and participation, and supportive relationships are relevant (I–IV). Older people focused on everyday life experiences they made by choice and managing on their own, as strengthening self-esteem and self-identity (I). The registered nurses focused on caring for frail older people and their need for acknowledgement in everyday care. They noted that of providing choices as enable older people to have joyful everyday life experiences (II). The managers and supervisors focused on informed consent, and legislation, and offered solutions to securing a meaningful everyday life by caring for older people’s wishes and needs. They also spoke of the risk the severe consequences could result from older people’s decision-making and their health conditions (III). Relatives were respected as a resource and attended to in everyday care for older people but the focus was the older person in their present life situation and their individual rights (IV).

Conclusion: Promoting to autonomy and participation for older people were maintained health and wellbeing, and the possibility to manage on their own terms. Informed consent, shared decision-making, supportive relationships and acknowledgement of relatives in the life-changing situations were ways to promote autonomy and participation. To promote autonomy and participation in care for older people is also to provide for choices that are meaningful to the older person at end of life in a joyful and permissive atmosphere.