Family Health Assessment Module 4

Running head: FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT

Family Health Assessment The notion of family is universal, although with differences in its designs and structures among different peoples of the world. Family is the vital element of the society. Stable family units make firm society and vice versa. Therefore, the significance of a strong and healthy family structure cannot be over emphasized. Fostering health and healthy behaviors becomes a developmental task for functional family process (Pender, et al., 2006). The purpose of the family health assessment is to utilize a holistic move towards recognizing the health of individuals and families to provide a client centered service. This will focus on encouraging families to identify and attend to their health needs and plan suitable intervention strategies jointly to address the identified needs. The family members must be considerate, helpful, and respectful toward each other through sickness and wellbeing. In order to support families in health matters, it is important for the nurse to assess the family as a whole. Gordon’s 11 functional health patterns help to create a systematic and standardized approach to data collection, and enable the nurse to arrange basic family assessment (Gordon, 2007).
Findings for each Functional Health Pattern for the Interviewed Family The family I selected to interview is an Indian family consisting of husband, wife, mother of wife, and three children who are three months, six and ten years old. The wife’s brother lives nearby and also other two sisters live in different state.
Values: Assessment of this pattern enhances the interpretation of family behavior. This family is from India. Their belief is based on Hindu religion. The husband and wife are employed, financially steady. Two of the children are in school and the infant is taken care of by the grandmother. The family has a very good support system. They still value their cultural heritage and traditions by spending time in their cultural and traditional practices. Health perception: Health is perceived as the capacity to perform ones daily activities routinely. The members of the family functioned in great health until lately when some health issues started to impede their family. For instance, the husband is diagnosed with hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and the youngest child with imbalanced nutrition. They have a regular family doctor, but the elderly mother uses traditional meds when she becomes ill. They have a very strong relationship within family. None of the family members drink or smoke. In addition, they practice religious rituals and prayers to protect their healthy.
Nutrition: The nutritional-metabolic pattern depicts characteristics of the families’ typical food and fluid consumption and metabolism (Gordon, 2007). The whole family joins to eat dinner daily. Usually, the family cooks Indian traditional meals at home and eats at restaurant once per week. Parents like vegetarian food, but children prefer non vegetarian. Therefore, they are cooking both to incorporate the different preferences of the family members. The youngest child switched to formula from breast feeding, but not drinking well. Currently, the family made some changes in the cooking pattern to meet the proper nutritional needs of newly diagnosed diseases. The whole family agreed to accept that change to show their love and support for each other.
Sleep and rest: Rest and sleep is very important to perform well in the daily activities. The family members have regular sleeping pattern from 10.00pm to 6.00am, but during holidays, they all get some extra sleep.
Elimination: In this family, cases of abnormal bowel habits are rare except for the elderly mother who complains occasionally of constipation. But she prefers only traditional home remedies as a treatment and also the family is always cautious about choosing high fiber foods.
Activity and exercise: The activity and exercise pattern symbolizes family characteristics that require energy expenditure (Gordon, 2007). Whole family goes for a walk four times weekly. The husband is exercising on the treadmill for 30 minutes every morning per physician’s recommendation. Usually, children ride the bike during family walk time. Throughout the weekend, they play tennis or basketball per children’s choice and whole family go for shopping at least biweekly.
Cognitive: The concept identifies characteristics of language, cognitive skills and perception that influence required family activities (Gordon, 2007). The family members speak their native language at home. Mother speaks only native language and children will translate as needed. Husband and wife make decisions jointly and also discuss with the mother for her opinion. They all recognize the importance of healthy living by keeping up to date immunization and regular checkups.
Sensory perception: None of the family member has any sensory problem except for the elderly mother who uses corrective lens for reading purposes.
Self perception: Self concept pattern identifies characteristics that describe the family's self worth and feeling states (Gordon, 2007). The members of the family are very supportive and loving each other. The elderly mother helps with babysitting when the young mother goes to work. If someone gets sick in the family, each member will make sure that person has been taken care of during the sick period.
Role relationship: Identifies characteristics of family roles and relationships. This is a traditional extended Indian family jointly making decisions and discussing with elder relatives before making big decisions. They have a very good relationship with their relatives and neighbors. The wife’s siblings also participate in caring of the mother when she becomes sick. The children are very respectful to their parents and grandmother.
Sexuality: Means expression of sexual identity. This family has three children; one boy and two girls. The wife had tubal ligation. Some Indians believe sexual life is their privacy; therefore, they refuse to discuss their sexuality with others.
Coping: Helps to depict the family's adaptation to both internal and external pressures. Family has been very concerned about baby’s inadequate nutrition and also husband’s family history of stroke and his new diagnosis. They usually manage their stress by sharing time with each other. Since they have strong religious beliefs, the prayers and traditional rituals help them to lessen their pressures. In general, this family has a strong supports from their relatives and society.
Wellness Nursing Diagnoses Based on Family Assessment
1. Effective therapeutic regimen management: Family has some knowledge deficit and requires effective treatment and teaching related to newly diagnosed hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
2. Readiness for enhanced family coping: Related to willingness to deal with husband’s needs and begin problem-solve evidenced expressing willingness to change to a healthy style. Family has been concerned about his new diagnosis and his family history of stroke.
3. Readiness for enhanced nutritional metabolic pattern: Baby’s imbalance nutrition, less than body requirement related to interrupted breast feeding.
Conclusion

Various aspects of health can be applied to assess the health or wellbeing of the families. Each family is unique with different manners of life and insights regarding health. There are some close connections between some sickness and family values. When implementing Gordon’s 11 functional health patterns, we can prepare an inclusive nursing assessment and allow for real or potential health problems. Useful health promotion family assessments involve listening to families, engaging in participatory dialogue, recognizing patterns, and assessing family potential for active, positive change (Clark, 2007, Friedman et al., 2003).The nurse must be aware of advanced system theories that apply to the family units, whether it is caring for an individual or for entire families. Only the healthy families can build up the healthy community.