Serious chronic illness surely qualifies to be regarded as a critical life event. Lupus and ageing have some features in common. Lupus is no respecter of age.
Treatment tends to be palliative.
Thus, the problem is one of management. In this context, sustained and committed professional attention is not always available. Associated with a courageous acceptance of the impact of Lupus, which can only be achieved over a period of time and with considerable psychological effort, is the central concept of control. Initially, this is vested in medical attention, advice and medication. In the long-terms, there is an inevitable shift as patients and families accept the need to play a major role in the management of the disorder of daily life.