On December 9th, at 2:00 PM, Larissa Nunes Benamor, a Master’s student in Public Health at IMS/UERJ, will defend her dissertation titled “Who Takes Care of the Patient? A Study on Becoming a Family Caregiver for a Patient in Palliative Care.”, supervised by Professor Laura Lowenkron (CLAM/IMS/UERJ).
Dissertation Abstract:
This academic master’s dissertation falls within the field of studies on care, kinship, and gender, investigating, within the context of Palliative Care, the selection of the family caregiver for the patient. The central hypothesis driving the research is that the assignment of caregiving responsibilities does not solely result from an individual decision but is influenced by broader historical, subjective, and social processes. The research, which takes a qualitative approach, was developed through two case studies, using ethnographic interviews with a semi-structured question guide and field observations. The main objectives were to understand the process of becoming a family caregiver, analyzing, through the narratives of two family caregivers, the tasks, skills, and responsibilities involved in assuming the care of a relative with advanced illness, assisted by public services in the Palliative Care model. The findings indicate that the selection of the family caregiver is embedded in fields of dispute, both within the family and in external spheres, being shaped by social expectations, public policies, and institutional norms. These findings highlight the complexity and interdependence of caregiving dynamics in the healthcare field.
Keywords: care; family; gender; palliative care
Defense Location: Room 6021, Block E, IMS/UERJ.
Rua Francisco Xavier, No. 529, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ.