Family health assessment free essay sample

As nurses it is essential to use appropriate tools to assess individuals, families, and communities. Throughout this paper the writer used The Gordon’s 11 Functional Health Patterns as a guide to assess a family. This family included a mother, a father, one son, four daughters, and two grandsons. The writer developed two to three open minded, family focused questions for each of the 11 functional health patterns. In this paper the writer summarizes the findings of each functional health patterns of the family, and identifies three wellness nursing diagnoses based on the family assessment. The family being interviewed has a well pattern of health perception and health management. None of the family members have been hospitalized for long periods of time. The family members do not use drugs, or tobacco. Two of the older kids do drink alcohol occasionally, but the rest of the family does not. The family does not have the best nutritional-metabolic patterns. This essay will describe the obtained information on the Joseph family by using the 11 functional health patterns. The values and health perception pattern primarily looks at a person’s view of values and beliefs. The Joseph family had health perceptions that focused on maintaining their wellbeing. Proper dieting, immunizations, and regular checkups were all main interests on the Joseph’s family perception of health. Mr. Joseph is a diabetic, so a healthy diet is crucial in the family. When the whole family changes the way they eat to accommodate Mr. Joseph’s eating style, he gains a sense of motivation and encouragement from the family to improve his health. Mr. Joseph takes the medication that his physician prescribed him. No one in the family smokes, but casual drinking is common during special occasions and holidays. The Joseph family bases their beliefs and lifestyle on Catholic values, and follow them closely. They go to the Catholic Church every Saturday evening and Sunday morning for worship. Overall, the Joseph family has solid values and a good outlook on health. The Joseph family has very well balanced nutritional diet. They eat three meals a day and have occasional snacks in between. Their main meals consist of a lot of rice, vegetables and meats. Fast foods are only had on special occasions. Water, coffee, and tea are the most common liquids they consume. Since Mr. Joseph is diabetic, the entire family changed the way they eat so they could support him. They eat less sugary foods and lean more towards fruits a nd vegetables. Due to this change, the Joseph family has learned a lot about eating healthy and maintaining a good diet. A persons sleeping pattern is important when dealing with the sleep and rest assessment. Everyone in the family sleeps for an average of about 8-12 hours of sleep per night. Mrs. Joseph works night shifts 5 days of the week, so she sleeps in the morning, once the children have gone to school. Since the children have school, they have a set bedtime at 10pm, and everyone wakes up at 6:30am to have family breakfast. Because of their disciplined bedtimes and wake up times, everyone in the family is usually well rested and set for the next day. When looking at the elimination assessment and the excretory patterns, the Joseph family has no issues. Everyone in the family has normal urination and bowel movements. The activities and exercise assessment is based on the amount of time and energy put into exercise and other activities by the family. Despite their busy schedules, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph find time to go for walks at least three times a week. The children take part in school activities and sports to remain active at least twice a week. Staying active and healthy is very important to the Joseph family. The ability to comprehend information and use it properly determines the perception assessment. Both Mr. and Mrs. Joseph have college degrees. Mr. Joseph is currently unemployed, and Mrs. Joseph has a bachelor’s degree in science. She is planning to continue her education in nursing and is determined to earn a master’s degree. They have two children, one in 11th grade and one in 8th grade. There were no cognitive/sensory issues found in this family, and the children don’t have any learning disabilities. Everyone in the family can speak and understand well. Overall, the Joseph family is well educated and has no perceptual problems. A person’s view on their body image and self esteem is important in the self perception assessment. Everyone in the Joseph family seems to have no self esteem issues. They claim to accept themselves for who they are and how they were made. Due to their religious beliefs, they believe that they were created to help spread the gospel throughout the world, and share Gods love to everyone. Every weekend, the family gets together to spread tracts to the people of their neighborhood and to people in the community. The role relationship assessment is defined by an individual’s roles and relationships with others. The Joseph family seems to lead a very family oriented lifestyle. Mrs. Joseph seems to enjoy the little things in life, and enjoys being a wife, mother, and friend. Similarly, Mr. Joseph is happy with his role as being a father and husband. The love and commitment present in this family can serve as a role model to other families. The sexual assessment is defined by a person’s satisfaction with sexual patterns. Due to Mrs. Joseph’s work schedule, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph are not satisfied with their sexual lives. This is becoming an issue because of the lack of intimacy in their relationship. The coping assessment is focused on a person’s view of stress, support systems, and coping techniques. When dealing with an issue, the Joseph family uses their communication skills. Depending on what the situation is, the Josephs rely on prayer, church, family, and friends to help them deal with stressful and tough instances. With the love and support of their close friends, they are able to cope successfully during hard times. The few wellness family diagnoses I chose for the Joseph family is; stress due to Mr. Joseph’s unemployment, ineffective sexual patterns, and fatigue. Due to his unemployment, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph have been under stress for a while. With only one persons income, it is getting harder and harder to meet the all the family’s needs. This puts stress and pressure on both Mr. and Mrs. Joseph. Mrs. Joseph’s work schedule causes her to work night shifts. This leads to ineffective sexual patterns, and fatigue. In conclusion, by using Gordon’s 11 functional health patterns, I was able to gain a better insight of the Joseph family’s perception of health, health issues, and their goals for the future.