The absence of the family in emergency care contributes to suffering in patients and family members.

Aim: To understand what the absence of the family during emergency care means to adult patients and their families to.

Method: A grounded theory study was conducted in two emergency units of two public hospitals in southern Brazil. From October 2016 to February 2017, 15 interviews with patients and 15 with family members were carried out. The data were analyzed following the comparative method.

Results: The patients and families experienced the absence of the family in emergency care as a process of suffering caused by the separation of patient and family; they did not understand the reasons for family exclusion, and were resigned to the situation.

Conclusion: Urgent care per se entails suffering in patients and their relatives; this suffering intensifies when the family is separated and cannot accompany the patient during emergency care. These results show the need to develop health strategies and policies that contribute to the comprehensive care of patients and families in hospital emergency units.