Situations of comfort and discomfort lived by the companion in the hospitalization of a relative with chronic illness - DOI: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v8i3.9020

Abstract

The exploratory descriptive study, with qualitative approach, was carried out in a public hospital in the south of Brazil, with the objective to identify situations of comfort and discomfort lived by the accompanying person of a chronic ill relative during hospitalization. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview with sixteen family members. The thematic analysis was used, and from that two themes emerged: the situations that generate comfort lived by the family companions and situations which generate discomfort lived by the family companions. The companions identified the situations that generate comfort by interactions with the team of professionals and the other companions; by the clinical improvement of the sick person; and by the closeness to the ill individual. The situations which generate discomfort were associated to the experiencing illness at the hospital; to the physical discomfort of the companion and to the financial and professional aspects. It is understood that the situations of discomfort reported by the companions result in implications for the hospital as an institution and for the health professionals. Therefore, there is a need to invest in a specific policy of attendance to the companion in order to minimize the situations of discomfort, and intensify the comfort situations.