en Nursing Education Nursing Education Original Research Original Research <p> <strong> Background: </strong>Empowerment of elderly people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can increase their quality of life and feeling of well-being. However, few researches focused on the obstacles and factors facilitating empowerment in elderly people with COPD and an adequate determining of these factors need an in-depth understanding of the meaning of these factors which influences empowerment. The objective of this study was to explore the barriers to and factors facilitating empowerment in elderly people with COPD. </p><p> <strong> Methods </strong>: This study was conducted with a qualitative approach using content analysis. Twenty- four participants were selected based on purposeful sampling. Data were collected through conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews and making filed notes. Data analysis was performed according to the proposed steps by Granhym& Lund man (2004). </p><p> <strong> Results </strong>: The potential to empower the elderly with COPD was influenced by mediating factors the nature of aging, the difficult nature of COPD, fear and hopelessness, the cultural values and beliefs, poor formal support systems and poor economic status were found to be the barriers and incentive, trust to health care providers, the educable status of the elderly and increased experience were found to be facilitating factors. </p><p> <strong> Conclusion </strong>: It seems that empowerment of the elderly with COPD was affected by many factors which mainly rooted in social factors, health care systems and personal resources. </p> Empowerment, COPD, Elderly People, Barriers, Facilitating Factors. 1043 1054 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-765&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Zahra Fotoukian zfotoukian@yahoo.com 200319475328460014524 200319475328460014524 No Nursing Department, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (USWR), Tehran, Iran. Farahnaz Mohammadi Shahboulaghi f_mohammadi_2000@yahoo.com 200319475328460014525 200319475328460014525 Yes Iranian Research Center on Aging, Nursing Department, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (USWR), Tehran, Iran. Masoud Fallahi Khoshknab msflir@yahoo.com 200319475328460014526 200319475328460014526 No Nursing Department, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (USWR), Tehran, Iran. Eesa Mohammadi mohamade@modares.ac.ir 200319475328460014527 200319475328460014527 No Nursing Department, TarbiatModares University, Tehran, Iran. Hamid Reza Baradaran Attar Moghaddam Baradaran.hr@iums.ac.ir 200319475328460014528 200319475328460014528 No Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran.