[Intensive home-based care: is it a possible reality for the public health system?].

A qualitative investigation characterized as an exploratory study of individual case. The guiding point was inquiring into how the Public Health System (SUS) provides intensive home-based care. The study was aimed at analyzing how this health support is made available--that is, what kind of assistance is given and what is the equipment maintenance and warranty like--and at examining how the subject of this study obtained this service, that is, how the service reached him/her and how long it usually takes to do so.