A família é o foco da atenção da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF). Nesse sentindo, utilizar ferramentas de abordagem à família pode auxiliar o profissional a conhecê-la, podendo analisa-la em seu contexto e de forma mais profunda a dinâmica das relações familiares e entender como ela influencia no processo saúde-doença-cuidado. Para tanto, realizou-se um estudo de caso, com o objetivo de avaliar a funcionalidade de uma família do distrito de jaibaras Sobral-CE, por meio das ferramentas APGAR familiar, genograma e ecomapa. O caso índice era do sexo feminino, 60 anos, aposentada, casada, com diagnóstico de hipertensão arterial sistêmica e bócio endêmico. A análise evidenciou forte vínculo entre a maior parte dos membros da família com o caso índice, e uma relação conflituosa desta com um filho, que tem transtorno bipolar. Além disso, a estrutura externa nos mostrou bom acompanhamento da ESF em relação à saúde de todos os membros da família. Com base na aplicação do questionário de APGAR Familiar, pode-se classificar a família com boa funcionalidade, uma vez que obteve resultado oito. Assim, os achados apontam para a importância do desenvolvimento de estratégias que envolvam os profissionais da saúde na utilização das ferramentas de avaliações com famílias, estimulando-os a adoção da proximidade ao contexto do lar e a rede social e sanitária destas ao longo da vida, permitindo ações efetivas e humanizadoras.

This article presents the experience of the researcher during the exploratory study, within the scope of her research in a qualitative paradigm, using the Grounded Theory as a methodological approach, which aims to understand the process of nursing care to the end-of-life patient in the performing activity of living eating and drinking. While structuring the research project, it became important to explore the field of data collection (hospice care unit of a hospital in the Lisbon region) in order to achieve a contact with the reality (represented by the actors), allowing an overview and approximation of the phenomenon under study, the break with the investigator's prentices and the modification of these ideas as well as the construction of the researcher's acceptance by the actors (potential participants), and the decision making during the research course. The sharing of this experience as well as the critical reflections presented here, enabled the researcher to review the difficulties encountered and the strategies used to overcome them, to become aware of the lessons learned and to consolidate them. It is also hoped that the sharing of this experience will help other researchers in their path, allow them to perceive that the mishaps / difficulties of the course they are carrying out are common, that a lot of critical reflection is needed on this trajectory, eventually finding strategies for the problems they might face.

No abstract

Food is permanently present in the daily life of the person, being much more than an act for the maintenance of life, dragging with it a multidimensional symbology and also being a way to obtain pleasure. In situations of health-illness and particularly in end-of-life situations, food may become a problem for the patient, family and for health professionals, in particular for nurses. This paper is a review of literature to present and justify the relevance of food as a basic but complex human need and to prospect its implications in the nursing care in this area, which constitutes a fundamental care. Bibliographic research was carried out at EBSCO (CINAHL and MEDLINE), academic Google and at the library of the Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa (Nursing College of Lisbon). This paper makes a critical and grounded analysis on the food phenomenon and the challenges it brings to the fundamental nursing care, and illustrates it with excerpts from an ongoing study of the first author on the food care process at end-of-life. In conclusion, nurse´s role regarding the food field should be individualized, being necessary the nurse to interact and get to know the patient to meet their expectations. This individual intervention with the patient has positive consequences for all involved in the process.