Introduction:
Patients remain in the focus of a nurse’s work, therefore it is important to know their social expectations with respect to the care provided.

Objective:
Recognition of the expectations of family members of chronically ill patients with respect to their nursing care providers.

Material and Methods:
The study covered 100 family members of patients hospitalized in a Residential Care Facility; aged 18-78, mean age 48.5. The research instrument was a self-designed questionnaire containing items related to the expectations of family members of patients suffering from chronic diseases, and nursing care received by these patients.

Results:
Family members considered nursing care as the most important occupational function of nurses (92%), followed by rehabilitation (57%), and therapeutic function (54%), while the most important tasks within individual functions indicated by the respondents were: maintaining body hygiene (100%), education of patients in self-care in activities of daily living (72%), prevention of effects of long-term immobilization (71%), motivating patients to independence (69 %), monitoring of the measurements of basic life functions (76%), and administration of medications (70%). The majority of respondents expected information concerning the patient’s state of health and nursing care provided (72%), whereas only 7% of respondents expected information pertaining to social services available.

Conclusions:
In the opinions of respondents, the provision of body hygiene, preparation of a patient for self-care, and alleviation of pain and suffering were the most important elements of nursing care.