Experience of Families Facing Cancer in Palliative Care

Abstract

Objective: to understand the experience of families facing cancer in palliative care of one of its members. Method: this is a qualitative research based on the theoretical-methodological framework of Grounded Theory. Six families participated, totaling 15 people. Data were collected from January to December 2019 in the homes of families in a municipality in southern Brazil, through an in-depth interview with the construction of a genogram. Analysis followed the constant comparative method steps: open, selective and theoretical coding. Results: the concepts discovering cancer; suffering with the reality imposed by the illness; preparing to face illness; deciding on treatment; facing the finitude of life, they are part of the central category “Living one day at a time”, which symbolically defines families’ experiences. The substantive theory elaborated shows that the definitions, actions and strategies adopted by families, in family dynamics and in interpersonal interactions, along a trajectory that culminates in the terminality of a relative’s life, is permeated by hope maintenance. Conclusion: throughout the illness experience, families promote changes in their daily lives and in family dynamics, undergoing adaptations and using their internal strengths in an attempt to re-establish the balance prior to the disease. Families live with uncertainty about the future, but it is the hope that drives them to live one day at a time.

Living With Pregnancy-Associated Cancer: Grounded Theory Based on Family Experiences

“…The presence of a disease has a significant impact on intrafamily relationships, because the family may have difficulty in managing the changes that will occur in their daily lives, especially when they do not know much about the disease 22 , about the treatment or about how to care for and support their sick family member. The processes involving cancer lead to several adaptations in the family's life, resulting from a new meaning attributed to it, characterized by the insertion of habits and routines previously little practiced or undervalued in their daily lives and/or by the reassessment of some pre-existing concepts 5 .…”

“…In the context of the family's life cycle, especially childbirth, unpredictable events can arise, such as the illness of one of its members, which intensifies the need to adapt to new family demands. Illness due to a chronic cause such as cancer, regardless of the family´s situation, impacts and affects not only the patient, but the unit as a whole, even having repercussions on interactions and family dynamics [4][5] . Such impacts are commonly related to the representations of cancer for individuals and the society to which they belong, which is usually associated with pain, anguish, suffering and death [6][7] .…”

Convivendo Com O Câncer Gestacional: Uma Teoria Fundamentada Nos Dados a Partir De Experiências De Famílias

“…A presença de uma doença repercute sobremaneira nas relações intrafamiliares, porque a família pode ter dificuldade em dimensionar as mudanças que ocorrerão em seu cotidiano, principalmente, quando não conhece muito sobre a doença 22 , sobre os cuidados a serem realizados e sobre como cuidar e amparar seu familiar doente. Os processos que envolvem o câncer levam a várias adaptações na vida da família, decorrentes de um novo significado atribuído a ela, caracterizado pela inserção de hábitos e rotinas antes pouco praticados ou pouco valorizados em seu cotidiano e/ ou pela reavaliação de alguns conceitos pré-existentes 5 .…”

“…No contexto do ciclo vital da família, aqui com destaque o estágio do nascimento dos filhos, podem surgir eventos imprevisíveis, como o adoecimento de um de seus membros, o que intensifica a necessidade de adaptação diante das novas demandas familiares. O adoecimento por uma causa crônica como o câncer, independentemente do momento familiar vivido, provoca impacto e afeta não apenas o doente, mas a unidade como um todo, repercutindo, inclusive, nas interações e na dinâmica familiar [4][5] . Tal impacto relaciona-se, comumente, com as representações do câncer para os indivíduos e para a sociedade a que pertencem, o que geralmente está associado à dor, à angústia, ao sofrimento e à morte [6][7] .…”

Intimate Partner Violence against Mastectomized Women: Victims’ Experiences

“…In this context, the family is very important, and the revelation of a diagnosis of cancer, although not always unexpected, is a difficult experience that causes feelings of deep sadness. Each family member reacts in a different way, with feelings of shock, fear, anguish, sadness, or even insecurity due to the stigma attributed to cancer as a painful and incurable disease [ 15 ].…”