Demonstrations and necessities on the death and dying process: perspective of the person with cancer

Abstract

Objective: To know the manifestations and needs concerning the process of death and dying of the person with cancer at the end of their lives. Methods: This paper is a qualitative and descriptive case study. The scenario was the participants’ homes, who were also bound to the Interdisciplinary Homecare Program, in Pelotas/RS. Five persons with cancer at the end of their lives participated, four were male and one female. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews and participant observation, from August to September 2015. Three or four meetings happened in their homes and thematic analysis was applied. Results: Four categories emerged: Emotional demonstrations and necessities; Social demonstrations and necessities; Physical demonstrations and necessities; Spiritual demonstrations and necessities. Conclusion: Cancer modifies patients and relatives’ lives, which demands skill and sensitive look from health professionals, when aiming to completely assist patients, considering their physical, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions.