Quem cuida do paciente? Um estudo sobre tornar-se cuidador familiar do paciente em Cuidados Paliativos

Abstract

This master's dissertation is part of the field of studies on care, kinship and gender, investigating, from the Palliative Care scenario, the election of the patient's family caregiver. The central hypothesis that mobilized the research maintains that the attribution of responsibilities in care does not result exclusively from an individual decision, but is influenced by broader historical, subjective and social processes. The research, with a qualitative approach, was developed through two case studies, using ethnographic interviews with a semi-structured question script and field observations. The main objectives were to understand the process of becoming a family caregiver, analyzing, based on the narratives of two family caregivers, the tasks, skills and responsibilities in assuming the care of a family member with advanced illness, assisted by public services in the form of Palliative Care. The results indicate that the election of the patient's caregiver within the family is immersed in fields of dispute, both within the family and in external spheres, being shaped by social expectations, public policies and institutional norms. These findings highlight the complexity and interdependence of care dynamics in the health area.