This work aims to investigate the way modern families, from a less favorable social condition, face the situation of having the "mother of the family", sick with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and dependent. The family members of the patients, who attended in the Neurology Institute Deolindo Couto of UFRJ, participated in this study. The method used was the Psychological Interview and the Quality Analysis in Psychology. The results showed: the difficulties imposed by the family situation, as well as the social and economic situation, the predominant role of the daughters as caretakers and the significance of the community and kinship net as the bearers of the family nucleus. It was concluded that the families demonstrated having reached the deliberation to take care of the patient in a practical and sensible way.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; family caretakers; female gender