The objective of this study is to identify the care practices of rural families who care for a person with cancer. This qualitative study used the Urie Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory as the theoretical and methodological framework. The participants were three families from a rural area who had a relative undergoing chemotherapy at an oncology service of a teaching hospital in southern Brazil. Data collection was performed between February and July of 2009. It was found that the care provided by the rural families is developed based on the family interactions across generations, and also on other community practices. The affection, love, protection, family unity, faith, togetherness and diet concerns describe the care and comprise the care practices of rural families who provide care to the person with cancer.
Family; Rural population; Neoplasms; Oncologic nursing