Care to the bereaved family: a necessary public action

una ación necessaria

Abstract

The process of mourning is unique, and will develop according to the characteristics of the mourner and the circumstances of death, which occurs more and more in hospitals. Faced with this there are difficulties in coping with mourning. It is important to offer care to bereaved families. This study reports and analyzes the repercussions of interventions offered by a public hospital in the interior of São Paulo, through qualitative research, with a comprehensive approach based on sociological phenomenology. A semi-structured interview was used and the collected material was submitted to content analysis. The bereaved relatives showed difficulty in facing the mourning even if of a foreseeable death and the need of a space so that they are heard and understood. The study confirms the benefit of bereavement care to be performed by the hospital staff for the comfort felt by the family in the face of the incident, and by the contact with the staff in the post-mortem period of the user.