[Home care in the Brazilian National Health System (SUS)]

To assess home care programs implemented in three cities and to identify components indicating the integration of these programs into the reform of health care.

An exploratory descriptive study with a qualitative approach was carried out in the cities of Marília and Santos, state of São Paulo, and Londrina, state of Paraná, Brazil. Empirical data was obtained from interviews with five nurses and one social worker who worked in home care services, and through analysis of reports on these programs. The data was analyzed using the discourse analysis technique.

The findings show the importance of home care services as a strategy for dehospitalization and humanization of care. Components were identified showing that home care focused on building up a health care model based on light technology, and multiprofessional and intersectorial work. It was found that, despite advances in the implementation of home care services, there are obstacles for an effective health care model change, such as ineffective referral and counter-referral mechanisms and complex relationship of health care providers with service users, their families and caregivers.

Care provided by home care programs is a strategy to decentralized care based on hospitals and to build up a new approach focused on health promotion and prevention, reducing risks and humanizing care. Strategies must be drawn up to allow its implementation in the public health network.