Family Health Assessment Essay

A family health assessment enables a formulation of a care plan for a family in consideration of their needs. In assessing the chosen family, open-ended questions based on Gordon’s principles were used. These principles help in collecting data and developing wellness interventions and diagnoses for the family. They are also used as the starting point for nursing in ensuring a complete and thorough assessment. Subsequently, all details and summary of the finding in each health pattern and wellness nursing diagnosis on the basis of the family individual health assessment are discussed. The overall health assessment is well conducted by the use of evidence-based practice models bonded with open-ended questions in order to generate extensive data to use in ensuring a comprehensive nursing diagnosis process.

Patrick’s family

The interviewed family comprises a couple married for eleven years and has two kids: both are boys. The mother, Angelina, is thirty-six years while the father is thirty-eight years. Their children ages are eleven and six years old. The father’s occupation is mechanical engineering where he earns $14 per hour and the mother works as a teacher in a private school and earns $10,000 per month. The two kids attend a public school near their home. The family grew up in conservative catholic cultures and is very active in community and church activities. According to the mother, the overall health of the family is above average and not necessarily at the anticipated level.

Health perception and values

The process of health assessment commenced with an evaluation of the values and the family’s health perception pattern. The family went through varied health practices and routines for health improvement. The parents were obsessed and had a bad feeling that they were bad role models to their young children. To ensure that the kids remain healthy, they encourage the kids to participate in physical activities such as sports and other co-curriculum activities in school. Both parents are active members of a local gym center and as well attend medical weight loss clinics. Over the next year, the set fourth family goal is to ensure weight loss and healthy eating for them to get involved in whatever activities they desire without being restricted. Secondly, the family avoids unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking, alcoholism and consuming too much sugar. Together, the family upholds values through flexibility, respect as well as honesty.

Nutrition

The family defines nutrition as consuming healthy and adequate food as well as refraining from an unhealthy lifestyle. They prefer fresh food from their garden rather than refined and processed food. The family does not consume organic food. The foods found in the house mainly consist of a balance of meat, grain, and dairy products. Patrick says that the family occasionally consumes vegetables and fruits in form of canned fruits and vegetables and potatoes. The children mostly eat pasta and cereals instead of vegetables and meat. They all believe that they eat nutritious and balanced food. According to the nutrition data provided, the family has an understanding of nutrious and healthy meals. However, with additional nutrition education, the family can gain the healthier lifestyle that they desire.

Resting and sleeping routines.

The family has no issues concerning rest patterns. Although the father works for long hours on some days, he averagely has adequate sleep. The mother has established bedtime timeframes which the children have adhered to and adopted to it well. None on the parents have alcoholic habits and thus, rest cycles are not disturbed. This family can be termed a typical family.

Elimination

When questioned on elimination pattern-related questions, Angelina states that the family had normal bladder and bowel patterns. However, her pattern is frequent due to high water intake as a requirement of the weight loss clinic. She also stated that the family had no cases of health-related complications.

Exercise and Activities

In relation to exercise patterns, Patrick stated that all members are physical activity and participate in recreation activities regularly and outdoor activities. In consideration of the boy’s age, the family has decided to start being engaged in more physical activities and increased the rate of outdoor activities. He also stated that he enjoys doing yard work together with the children during the weekends. Encouraging screen games, football, and more outdoor activities would be all beneficial to the family’s health status. The husband and the wife could also be encouraged to attend the gym several times in a week.

Cognitive

. In consideration of this assessment pattern, the family observes immunization dates and is vaccinated annually against flu. The husband is not aware of any barriers or discrepancies in the way the family communicates. In regards to learning style, Angelina does not know her personal learning style and neither of the whole family. In the classroom, there are no difficulties experienced by the children although Angelina does not admit that they are academically gifted.

Sensory perception

The family has no records of sensory defects as outlined by the sensory perception assessment patterns. Currently, the family has no form of the disease that can result in loss of senses. All the family members utilize all their senses to gain and analyze information.

Self-perception

The answers obtained from the assessment pattern questions outlined that, children participate in school co-curriculum activities in which their parents support them in all the activities. Additionally, the family maintains a good relationship with other people in society. on the contrary, the family feels that they need to do better and look well both physically and the overall physique, especially for the mother and father. The parents should put more effort to reduce their weight and attain their desired healthy weight.

Role relationship

the overall relationship with family, friends, and co-workers is good as highlighted by the relationship assessment. However, Angelina states that everyone has a daily busy schedule and hence it is difficulty to hang out with each other outside the house. In conflict resolution, the family uses dialogue to resolve issues between the family members. The offended member states the problem at a family meeting held at the dining room and each party involved raises their concerns and the father who is the head of the house and decision maker decides on the outcome. Division of chores is done among the members of the family based on days of the week in which the boys do some tasks on Saturday and Sunday when they are not in school

Sexuality

.this assessment pattern emphasized the parents, both Patrick and Angelina stated that they were satisfied with each other and their love life was based on mutual happiness. The only challenge was having more time together since Patrick worked for long hours and sometimes he could be sent overseas to represent the business.

In order to maintain a romantic life, they have chosen to be having lunch together during lunch breaks and spend more time talking over the phone.

Coping

The family manages stress well. Currently, the stressing issues in the family include the father’s work and the lack of time for the family members to interact outside the house. In regards to the demanding father’s work, he has no time to attend to personal and family issues which is undermining the purpose of a father figure in a family. Comparatively, the family has established open communication through which they are used to talking and help each other when in need. The current support system consists of their grandmother and family members. Their grandmother helps out looking after the children when both parents are at work and also gives them emotional support when the family is having duress.

Nursing Diagnosis

The nursing diagnosis was conducted after analyzing and making assumptions based on the information gathered from the interview. Based on this information, the family inhabits several appropriate nursing diagnoses which have led to the improvement of their health conditions and lifestyle.

Health-seeking behavior is the initial nursing and wellness diagnosis that is evident in the family lifestyle. The family adheres to healthy living and has substantial knowledge of healthy routines and practices (Weber, 2005, p. 1). It is well illustrated by the fact that the family understands the significance of living a healthy life, adhering to nutritious food and regularly being engaged in physical activities. Also, the family desires and looks forward to improving their conditions.

Secondly, readiness for enhanced role performance is a nursing diagnosis that is exhibited by the family. The family has well-defined roles and hence there Is no conflict in tasks (Weber, 2005, p. 5). House chores are divided amongst the family members. Additionally, the grandmother’s role in the family is well evident and defined and every family member understands her role.

Lastly, readiness for enhanced sleep is well highlighted in the interview. The family has a good definition and understanding of the importance of adequate sleep (Weber, 2005, p. 4). The family emphasizes a routine that ensures enough sleep and thus there exists no complaints of tiredness during the day.

In summing up, the heath patterns instilled the family is overly average based on Dr. Gordon’s 11 principles. Regarding the information provided, there is a need for improvement in some categories although, at this at there is no significant concern that requires immediate attention from a medical practitioner.

References

Gordon, M. (1994). Nursing diagnosis: Process and application (3 ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.

Weber, J. (2005a). Nursing Diagnoses (Wellness, Risk, and Actual) Grouped According to Functional Health

Weber, J. R. (2005b). Nurses’ handbook of health assessment (5th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.