Assignment: Family Health Assessment
Family Health Assessment Part 1
Family Health Assessment is crucial in identifying the family’s strength and weakness in terms of access to quality and affordable care. The assessment also provides crucial information to the healthcare practitioners on the threats to achieving comprehensive health and general wellness for the whole population. Furthermore, the family assessment prepares nurses especially the Family Nurse Practitioners with the relevant skills required in the assessment of the family health patterns and be able to offer family-based solutions (Peterson-Burch, 2018). The concept has also proved to be instrumental in advancement of genetic interventions in some of the complex conditions.
Family Structure
In my family health assessment, I interviewed the family of Mr. and Mrs. K. The family unit is composed of three elderly adults of age between 60 to 95 years and two young adults, a 21-year-old female and a 24-year-old male. The family is of Hispanic -American descent, Mr. K is 68-year-old retired attorney while Mrs. K is a 60-year-old retired high school teacher they live together with Mrs. K’s mother who is 92-year-old battling arthritis and Alzheimer. All the family members are practicing Catholics with an upper middle class economic standard. They have enough pension to cater for their medical, food and other family expenses.
The current family health behavior is focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Mr. and Mrs. K have regular exercise schedules in the gym. They do exercise thrice a week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. They do also maintain a healthy diet to keep them healthy. Mr. K has a history of hyperlipidemia while Mrs. K has hypertension, they both manage the health conditions well through diet and exercise. Their two elderly children are healthy, with no pre-existing medical conditions. They are normal with above average performance in school. They have been excelling in both academic and sporting activities. The 24-year-old son has interest in soccer and plays in the college soccer team while the 21-year-old has been participating in the tennis ball competitions since she was a 6-year-old. Mrs. K’s mother has been battling arthritis and Alzheimer for the last five years. She attends regular therapy to relieve the pain associated with arthritis.
Functional Health Patterns; Strengths and Barriers to Health
In the assessment of the family’s health pattern strength and weakness, it was clear that the family lifestyle and concern about health has helped the family members remain healthy. The family members are engaged in regular exercise and nutrition which are precursors to staying healthy and fit. Mr. K has been able to successfully manage his hyperlipidemia while Mrs. K has been managing hypertensive condition through regular exercise and diet. The strength towards adoption of the health promotion measures as one of the key pillars in the Affordable Care Act that advocates for reduced pressure on healthcare resources and facilities through health promotion measures (Courtemanche et al., 2018). Additionally, give the level of education of Mr.and Mrs. K they are fully aware and knowledgeable on the health matters concerning, health insurance, immunization and vaccination programs and general health promotion measures. The fact that they are practicing Catholics with strong foundation in Christian values of faith, love, patience and compassion, it helps in strong family culture of unity and helping each other overcome the emotional stress that might arise from the workplace or school. The religious guidance has for long been associated with improved mental health among the adolescents and young adults (Estrada et al., 2019). Another strength noted in ensuring a healthy pattern and lifestyle in the excellent communication skills that exists between the family members. They do discuss in open any challenges they are facing and this helps in coping up with stress.
The barrier to health that were noted could be limited energy and ability to exercise due to their advanced age. Another barrier to health in the family is Mrs. K’s mother’s health condition that has put the family under stress especially when her arthritis condition becomes very severe. This condition calls for both physical and emotional support o help the patient in coping up with the condition (Brignon et al., 2020). Mrs. K elimination complexity has been an area of concern and discomfort that has hindered her from fully enjoying a quality life.
Family Systems Theory
The family system theory views a family as a complex social system where the individual behaviors of the family members influence one another and make a collective interactive system. The system is observed as a whole and not as a single unit or individual person. The role Family Health Nurses Practitioners (FHNP) has been gaining popularity over the years; however, the enhancing health care practices requires a multifactorial approach that brings together all the stakeholders to realize effective change in healthcare (Duhamel, 2017). Families are encouraged to incorporate collective health promotion measures such as health diet, regular exercise, hygiene and following immunization and vaccination programs.
In the coping with stress issues in the family, the family notes of doing outdoor activities such as working on the garden, exercising and meditation. They mention of experiencing stress about the current situation of Covid-19 condition and stress due dealing with grown up children’s issues. The family systems theory can be instrumental in helping strengthen communication between the family members. The fact that all the family members are practicing Catholics, they can have joint sessions of Bible study and prayer sessions together to help in dealing with the stress and the psychological and mental effects associated with Covid-19 pandemic.
Conclusion
Family health assessment process helps the nurse practitioner better understand the family health patterns, the strengths and barriers families experience in access to quality care and achievement of the complete functional health that guarantees the family members quality life. In my family assessment report, I was able to interview a Hispanic-American family of five people. Three elderly adults and two young adults. The family being from the middle upper middle class, have adequate resources and descent living. Though the family has elderly family members battling chronic illness of hyperlipidemia, hypertension and arthritis, they have been able to manage the conditions well through proper nutrition, regular exercise and adherence to the prescribed medication.
NRS 429V Week 5 Discussion 1
Mrs. Jones, a widow, is no longer able to live independently and is requiring more and more help with her self-care. Her daughter, Susie, who is married with three school-aged children, agrees to let her mother move in with her. Susie is concerned with balancing the demands of her career and the needs of her family, especially now that her elderly and chronically ill mother will need assistance. She is also unsure about how she feels with the reversal of roles, having to now be the primary caregiver of her mother. How can the nurse, caring for this family, assist with the changes they are about to undergo? How can both the family structural theory and the family developmental theory be applied to this scenario? How can health education enhance health promotion for this family?
NRS 429V Week 5 Discussion 2
How could you use the family structural theory to determine if a family is dysfunctional or not? Provide evidence to support your answer.
Family Focused Assessment
Families play an important role in any society. They contribute to the health and wellbeing of a society. Families consist of individuals that work together towards achieving a common goal. The individual behaviors are important in determining the overall health of the family. Therefore, this essay is a summary of interview that was conducted in a family to determine family behaviors. The essay explores areas that include a description of the family structure, functional health pattern strengths and weaknesses, and effectiveness of family systems theory in promoting positive change in the family.
Description of the Family Structure
The selected family that was used in undertaking this assignment is Mr. X’s family. The family is an extended family. The family members comprised of Mr. X and his wife, two children, and their grandparents. The family is African-American family. The husband, Mr. X works in a local manufacturing company as a salesperson. His wife works as a cashier at a local restaurant. Their children – two daughters- are in their junior high school. The grandmother is a retired nurse while the grandfather is an ex-military person. The family members are Christians who attend the church on a regular basis. The family can be categorized as a middle class family based on their lifestyle and affordability of the basic needs and wants. The home environment of the family was clean. There was adequate supply of clean water, adequate food supplies, and effective disposal of wastes.
Overall Health Behaviors of the Family
An interview to identify the health behaviors of the family was undertaken using Gordon’s functional health patterns. The interview revealed that the family perceived their overall health to be good. The family members reported to understand the importance of health promotion. They utilized the available health care services that include screening and early treatment of health problems. However, the perceived challenges of the family in accessing the care they needed included high cost of medical care, use of traditional medicines, and lack of understanding about some of their health problems. The interview revealed that the nutritional status of the family was adequate. The adequacy was seen from the ready availability of healthy diets for the family members. There was also the evidence of minimal influence of culture on the family’s dietary habits. The family however noted that having elderly members had affected the dietary choices they made since they prioritized the health needs of their grandparents.
The interview also revealed that most of the family members have adequate rest and sleep. This could be seen from the average number of hours that the family slept or rested on a daily basis. The grandparents however reported to experience insomnia. They reported to have challenges in getting and maintaining sleep. The family reported minimal issues related to elimination. The grandparents were reported to have elimination problems that included incontinence and use of laxatives to ease passing of stool by one of the grandparents. This experience has been a source of significant distress to the family. The family also reported to engage in adequate physical activities. They included having a morning run and assisting their grandparents walk round the compound on a regular basis. One of the grandparents however had spinal injury, which limits his ability to engage in moderate physical activity.
The interview also revealed that the family members had a positive perception towards self, others, and their bodies. They appreciated themselves for helping one another achieve their set goals in the family. No abnormalities were identified in the sensory-perception aspect of assessment. The family members were aware of themselves, space, and time. They also played active roles in their desired social, functional, and occupational roles. However, the grandparents were dependent on their children. The family members reported to utilize social support systems in addressing their stressful conditions. They assist each other in seeking ways of managing their stressful events. They also seek the support of the church members and pastor in difficult situations. The interview did not reveal any sexuality-related problems in the family.
Re: Topic 3 DQ 2
Primary Health Promotion: Aimed at keeping those healthy people healthy, preventing problems down the line. This can encompass everything from health fairs, exercise programs, encouraging proper diet, vaccinations, washing hands, wearing a mask, to more general public health decisions like helping to pass a law requiring helmets or ban smoking (Falkner, 2018) (IWH, 2015).
Secondary Health Promotion: This level is more individualized and is based in early detection and treatment of a condition, which is where health screenings such as a prostate exam or pap smear come on, like when someone has their annual check up with their primary care physician. Prevention of and/or progression with the help of nurses is key (Falkner, 2018).
Tertiary Health Promotion: The patient has already suffered from an ailment and the goal is now to help them return as close to optimal health as possible, while keeping complications at a minimum. This is the involvement of most hospital level nurses. There may already be permanent changes to the patient’s way of life that the nurse must help educate and acclimate them to with help from the other hospital resources like physical therapy or occupational therapy (Falkner, 2018).
Again, primary is where a person will receive education on a subject or condition they may not necessarily be concerned about but is a preventable with the right effort put into place. If there is a family history of diabetes, the nurse explains how controlling caloric intake, eating nutrients, and not living a sedantary lifestyle will potentially help the patient avoid a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus type 2. At the secondary level, this same patient may be further concerned about DMT2 and after being educated decides it is important to have continious healthcare checkups to check their A1C level and confirm their blood sugar is under control. On the tertiary level, this same patient may be admitted to the hospital with a newly diagnosed DM2 and diabetic ketoacidosis, requiring use an insulin drip. They will need education on their new oral medications during their stay along with demonstration of checking their blood sugar so they are fully prepared to go home.
Falkner, A. (2018). Health Promotion: Health & Wellness Across the Continuum.
IWH Staff (2015). Primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. https://www.iwh.on.ca/what-researchers-mean-by/primary-secondary-and-tertiary-prevention#:~:text=Primary%20prevention%20aims%20to%20prevent,or%20injury%20should%20exposure%20occur.
RESPOND HERE
Re: Topic 3 DQ 2
There are three different levels of health promotion, primary, secondary and tertiary. “Primary prevention refers to actions aimed at avoiding the manifestation of a disease” (About, 2018). This would include such things as vaccinations, healthy eating habit or educating on the importance of not smoking. “Secondary prevention aims to reduce the impact of a disease or injury that has already occurred” (Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention | Institute for Work & Health, 2000). In order to do this, it is imperative to detect the problem early on in order to halt the disease process. Secondary prevention would include regular mammograms and pap smears or taking low dose aspirin to prevent a second heart attack or stroke. “Tertiary prevention aims to soften the impact of an ongoing illness or injury that has lasting effects” (Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention | Institute for Work & Health, 2000). This is when the damage is already done and care is aimed at lessening the long term effects of the problem. This would include things like physical or occupational therapy following a stroke or heart attack. The levels of prevention can help determine the educational needs for each patient. For instance you would want to educate young people on the dangers of smoking to include primary prevention in your education. Education of secondary prevention would include teaching women how to give themselves breast exams for early detection of breast cancer. Tertiary prevention education would be aimed at individuals following a stroke on how to rehabilitate themselves.
About. (2018). WHO EMRO | Health promotion and disease prevention through population-based interventions, including action to address social determinants and health inequity | Public health functions | About WHO. Who.Int. http://www.emro.who.int/about-who/public-health-functions/health-promotion-disease-prevention.html
Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention | Institute for Work & Health. (2000). Iwh.on.Ca. https://www.iwh.on.ca/what-researchers-mean-by/primary-secondary-and-tertiary-prevention
