Introduction:

Palliative care at home, combined with multiprofessional work and the presence of a family caregiver, enables the achievement of autonomy and creative alternatives in caregiving.

Objective:

To understand the conditions related to becoming the main caregiver of a family member receiving palliative care at home.

Method:

Qualitative research, using Strauss and Corbin's methodological perspective of Grounded Data Theory. In-depth interviews were conducted, with 18 participants: nine family caregivers and nine nursing professionals from a Home Care Service, and were analyzed them by open, axial and selective coding. Subsequently, the categories identified in a conversation with fifteen family caregivers and nine professionals are presented for theoretical validation.

Results:

The process of becoming a family caregiver is related to three analytical subcategories: "Engaging in the home care of the dependent family member"; " (Un) knowing the health condition of the family member and the meaning of palliative care," and "Experiencing palliative care and coping with the possibility of death". It is emphasized that family members became caregivers due to the imperative need for care of a relative. The understanding of the meaning of palliative care was instituted by the experience of this family member, by the daily treatment of the condition, and the possibilities of death, mediated by the Home Care team, especially the nursing professionals. The professionals working in the service showed difficulties in addressing the theme of death and palliative care with patients and caregivers.

Conclusion:

Becoming a family caregiver is a complex process, permeated by different interactions between patients, family caregivers and health professionals. It was identified that the difficulties in this process can be mitigated through strategies adopted by professionals to expand the communication and the support for the specific needs of families and, also, through the implementation of public policies that favor the caregiver.