ISSN: 2578-5095
Authors: Silva DR and Cerqueira M*
Background: The technological advances and the improvement of health care verified in the last decades, combined with the current economic and health policies allow and guide for the provision of care to move more and more from the hospital environment to the home, even when we are facing more advanced stages of the disease. In this context, the family appears as a key element in the care process, since it assumes and plays a major role in the maintenance and continuity of care at home. Objective: To analyze the perspective of the family caregiver in view of the benefits of staying with the person with advanced chronic illness at home. Methodology: Qualitative study, case study. For data collection, semi-structured interviews were carried out with ten family caregivers of people with advanced chronic illness, admitted to surgery units of a Local Health Unit in the metropolitan area of Porto and discharged to their homes. Content analysis was carried out according to the Bardin. The study respected the ethical-moral principles. Results: The family caregivers emphasize several benefits of the permanence of the person with advanced chronic illness at home, such as providing love, comfort and a accompanied end of life process. Conclusion: Caring for a family member with advanced chronic illness at home allows the provision of care in the comfort of home and in the company of those who are most loved, surrounded by gestures of love and affection, providing the best possible well-being and quality of life.
Keywords: Emotional Experience; Family Caregiver; Person with Advanced Chronic Illness; Transition; Home
