[Nursing assistance by a home care team after the death of the patient]. / Assistência de enfermagem domiciliar em equipe multiprofessional após o óbito do paciente.

This is report about an experience of continuation of home assistance to families after the patient's death who had determined the beginning of assistance. The present article shows the criteria used to provide a family with an "Assistance service and support to families of chronical patients of HUM" as well as discussions emerged and feelings experienced by the team when subjected to the possibility/proposal of the continuation of assistance. Furthermore the article considers the visitor's reaction at first visit made after death and finally it also presents the importance of continuation of assistance based on reports of verbal manifestation of the family and on evaluation of team members. The authors believe that due to the fact that the assistance to the family is still regarded as a topic which has been very little explored, discussions that might contribute somehow to the consolidation of its practicability must be made possible and stimulated.