INTEGRATION OF THE FAMILY IN THE HOSPITALIZED PATIENT'S CARE

Normally, family plays an invaluable role concerning the dependent people care, to the extent that the concept of informal care is part of the common speech among the healthcare professionals. However, the participation of relatives in the health care of those hospitalized is still very low. The objective of this paper was to review the available evidence regarding the advantages of promoting the family participation in the hospitalized patient's healthcare, as well as the recommendations that several scientific societies and professional organizations have made in this sense. It has been also studied what is established in the Spanish current law in relation to the presence of the family during the professional process of healthcare. For this, diverse databases and official health organizations' recommendations about the family and the patient were revised, as well as the national, autonomic and local legislation. The evidence provided shows that the accompaniment of the family and its active participation in the healthcare of the patient is very useful to promote its recovering and well-being during its hospitalization.