Dependence of family care in the perspective of chronic disease

Abstract

Objective: to understand how the chronic patient feels the fact of being dependent on daily care. Method: this is a descriptive, exploratory and qualitative study, conducted with 12 chronic patients assisted by an extension project. Data were collected in the period April-November 2011 through interviews guided by the research question: "How do you feel to need care from your family?" and subjected to content analysis. Results: categories emerged: "Participation of people with chronic conditions in the family"; "Family care dependency: autonomy threatened"; "Family Distancing: it is not just living in the same environment". Participants revealed feeling excluded from family decisions, bothered by relying on care and often refer to loneliness. Conclusion: the progression of chronic diseases, which is generally associated with reliance on care, often requires a family restructuring and redefinition of roles, changing the routine and family dynamics.