Care to the bereaved family: a necessary public action

ABSTRACT The mourning process is unique, and develops according to the characteristics of the mourner and the circumstances of death, increasingly growing in hospitals. There are many difficulties in coping with mourning, therefore, 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 carried out, and the collected material was submitted to content analysis. The bereaved relatives showed difficulty in facing such period, and, even in the face of foreseeable deaths, there is the need of a space for them to be heard and understood. The study confirms the benefit of bereavement care to be performed by the hospital staff, because this contact in the post-mortem period of the user provides a feeling of comfort to the family in the face of the incident.