Chronic illness places considerable burden on patients, spouses and other family members. Because of the illness, roles within the family alter which may cause difficulties and affect the harmony of relationships within the family. These changing roles and circumstances may result in miscommunication within the family or even conflict (Rabinowitz and Florian 1992). In this study most participants felt their family and friends understood their condition and limitations. Leidy and Haase (1999) characterised some of their participants with COPD as struggling to maintain a sense of personal integrity, with feelings of decreasing effectiveness and connectedness with others. The importance of sufficient formal and informal resources, particularly in support from family and friends, to manage COPD has also been noted by others (Cicutto et al 2004).