Objective To understand the lived experience and needs of humanistic care among the housebound elderly with special difficulties in Wuhan, and to provide references for the construction of targeted humanistic care model. Methods Objective sampling method was used to select 15 housebound elderly people with special difficulties from 4 communities in Wuhan for one-to-one half-structured in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed with Colaizzi′s 7-step analytical method. Results The good experience of the elderly with special difficulties included responsible and proactive help, being greeted and communicated with; the bad experience included insufficient care from family members and inadequate proactive care from community service members. Care needs of the elderly included life-assisted helps, greetings and companionship, medical treatment, adequate aid in case of emergencies and public welfare services. Conclusion The care experience of the elderly with special difficulties ought to be improved, and they have diversified care needs. We should understand the care needs of the elderly with special difficulties and construct a targeted humanistic care service model.