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Background: The world's population is aging faster than ever and the number of elderly people over the age of 80 will triple in Europe over the next 50 years, while the proportion of people working in healthcare will decrease. Reablement is an interprofessional rehabilitation that aims to support the elderly for a more active everyday life. It is important to create conditions for the older person to continue to be as independent as possible. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe how older people experience opportunities and barriers to independence in activities of daily living. Method: The study was designed as a descriptive qualitative interview study. Analysis has been carried out with content analysis. Result: The elderly feel that their ability to be independent in activities of daily living is determined by psychological characteristics, physical discomfort, the influence of the environment and coping of the situation. All in all, it appears that society contains challenges for the elderly with disabilities, that lost independence is a long-term process and that it is important to have control over their own existence. Conclusions: The opportunities for older people to experience independence in activities of daily living are influenced by many factors. In order to provide good opportunities for the elderly to regain or maintain independence in activities of daily living, the healthcare needs to adopt a biopsychosocial perspective.