The purpose of this study is to test a theory-based intervention program to reverse excess disability of nursing homes elders in Taiwan. The program called the Self-Care Self-Efficacy Enhancement Program (SCSEEP) was derived from Social Cognitive Theory and Theory of Conformity with Nature. The program was tested by an experimental, two-group, pre-post design with forty-two qualified subjects, recruited from the two nursing homes located in the southern Taiwan. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: the experimental group (n = 21) and the comparison group (n = 21). Subjects in the experimental group, who were aged from 73.8 to 94.7, received the SCSEEP. Subjects in the comparison group, who were aged from 71.2 to 95.6, received six-week social visits. Statistical data analysis showed that the following pair-variables were positively correlated: 1) life satisfaction and self-esteem, 2) life satisfaction and motivation, 3) self-esteem and motivation in health behavior, 4) self-esteem and levels of BADL performance, and 5) motivation in health behavior and levels of BADL performance. It also was found that elders receiving the SCSEEP significantly improved in most self-care abilities, after controlling for baseline BADL performance. However, the SCSEEP did not significantly affect elders' life satisfaction, self-esteem, and motivation in health behavior. This study provides a theory-based caring model for Chinese nursing home elders in improving their BADL performance if SCSEEP is provided.