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The study aims to map the composition of support networks for older adults hospitalized in palliative care, as well as to understand how members of these networks reconcile care responsibilities with the demands of the labor market. This is a qualitative field study conducted with 15 hospitalized older adults in palliative care and 18 members of their support networks, in a large hospital in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected through the application of a network mapping tool with the older adults and semi-structured interviews with their support networks. Using content analysis, the data were grouped into the following analytical categories: a) support networks and vulnerability; and b) challenges in reconciling work and care. The results reveal the configuration of scarce and informal support networks, limited to family relationships, marked by the feminization of care and the absence of social or health services, thus evidencing a familist logic. The vulnerabilities inherent to the context of end-of-life and hospitalization are exacerbated by concerns related to income maintenance, increased expenses, and job security. As a result, caregivers experience heightened vulnerability and emotional distress. It is concluded that the prevailing familist logic places a disproportionate burden on families – particularly on women – hindering the reconciliation of work and caregiving and underscoring the urgent need for public policies that recognize care as a shared responsibility with the State.