NRS 429VN Grand Canyon University Family Health Assessment with Sample

Refer back to the interview and evaluation you conducted in the Topic 2 Family Health Assessment assignment. Identify the social determinates of health (SDOH) contributing to the family’s health status. In a 750-1,000-word paper, create a plan of action to incorporate health promotion strategies for this family. Include the following:

1. Describe the SDOH that affects the family health status. What is the impact of these SDOH on the family? Discuss why these factors are prevalent for this family.
2. Based on the information gathered through the family health assessment, recommend age-appropriate screenings for each family member. Provide support and rationale for your suggestions.
3. Choose a health model to assist in creating a plan of action. Describe the model selected. Discuss the reasons why this health model is the best choice for this family. Provide rationale for your reasoning.
4. Using the model, outline the steps for family-centred health promotion. Include strategies for communication.

Family Health Assessment Completed Sample Paper

Jennifer Potter

Grand Canyon University

NRS-429V

March 1, 2020

Family Health Assessment

The family health assessment is a necessary tool for nursing.  The application of the Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention models (CFAM/CFIM) provides a framework for nurses to assess the dynamics and needs in a family (Leahey & Wright, 2016). It also provides evidenced based practice for interventions that have practicality for the situations (Leahey & Wright, 2016).  The Gomes family allowed this author to perform a family health assessment.  The following is a summary of such assessment with patterns of strengths, weaknesses with a system theory to help guide the goal of health and wellness.

Family consists of Ashley age 34, husband Anderson age 40, and Killian age 2.  Work in healthcare and cable IT.  Family babysits Killian and parents adjust schedule for this, so they are with baby more.  Ashley works 3 12-hour shifts in a cardiac electrophysiology lab.  Anderson works 4 10-hour days on 2nd shift Wednesday through Saturday.  Anderson is home during the day with Killian on Monday and Tuesday.  Ashley typically works Monday, Tuesday and Friday with Killian being watched by his aunt on the off days.  Ashley is Caucasian and Anderson is a Brazilian native who gained his citizenship in the United States 4 years ago.  They are both Roman Catholic who agree their faith is important to them but do not attend Mass regularly.

Ashley feels adept at managing her family’s needs, ensuring that vision, dental and health (physical and mental) are met.  She ensures that a yearly influenza vaccine is received by each family member although she feels she must remind Anderson too much in her opinion.  She believes each of these is important to their overall well-being.

Ashley and Anderson eat out at least once a week.  Never more than twice. Ashley takes responsibility for all the meal planning for homecooked meals.  Anderson is from Brazil and was raised with a culture of the wife cooking and planning/shopping for the meals.  He has been in the U.S. less than 20 years.  Ashley, while frustrated with this at times, performs the tasks regularly.  Most meals at home are healthy, consisting of lean proteins and vegetables.  Some of the meals are Brazilian which include chicken, pork, beans and rice. Ashley is 5’3” tall and weighs 123 pounds, Body Mass Index (BMI) of 21.79.  Anderson is 5’8” tall and weighs 210 pounds, BMI of 31.93.  Killian is 37” tall and weighs 31 pounds. Ashley’s BMI is within the normal range, Anderson’s BMI falls into the obese range.

The family has what is called a shared family bed.  Killian sleeps with his parents every night.  Ashley does not have sound sleep because of this fact.  She is also still breastfeeding Killian so Anderson shares very little of nighttime responsibility since Killian was born because of this.  Killian is unable to fall asleep on his own at this age.  Bedtime and nap times during the day require one of the parents to lie down with him.

There are only minor issues in elimination.  Anderson suspects he might have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, as his motility is faster than what would be considered usual and his stools are frequently loose.  No frank blood or any occult ever witnessed.  Killian has few issues and eliminates both bowel and bladder without any real issues.

Ashley works out a few times a week on an in-home elliptical she has available.  Anderson rarely uses this or exercises.  There is also strength training equipment available which both readily admit they rarely utilize.

Ashley has attended college and works in healthcare as a cardiac invasive technologist.  Upon taking the online VARK analysis, she scored highest in read/write with kinesthetic scoring 2nd.  Aural was the lowest score.  Anderson scored higher on kinesthetic with read/write scoring 2nd.  Killian is hitting his developmental milestones as well as learning two different languages simultaneously- English and Portuguese.

Both Ashley and Anderson require some corrective lenses but no significant eyesight problems.  Ashley is very hard of hearing in her left ear due to a perforated ear drum that was damaged as a child.  Killian has not been diagnosed with any sensory issues at this time.

Regarding self-perception, both Ashley and Anderson seem to view themselves as the head of their household individually.  Ashley feels since she bears the burden of maintaining a functional household, doing all housekeeping chores and cooking and grocery shopping that she is naturally in this role.  Anderson believes his role is head of household due to him being the male.  Anderson’s culture and his family background play a large role in this.  Ashley struggles with her overall self-image.  She reports that since becoming a mother, she has added a new dimension onto her self-doubt.

Their roles appear to overlap at times. Anderson does fulfill the role of ensuring heavier maintenance is done around the home. While they do see each other during the week, their schedule only allows for short periods of time together.  They work their schedules more to allow for one of them to mainly be with Killian.  They do not go out together on their own very often.  Should they go out to dinner they typically being Killian along.

Ashley and Anderson lost one child to a tubal pregnancy but had no trouble conceiving Killian.  He was a normal, term pregnancy.  Anderson wants to have more children, and while Ashley is not against the idea, she is overwhelmed with the prospect of having another child at this time.  They report that there is no sexual dysfunction but the ability to find time for each other is often difficult for them.

Ashley and Anderson both attend counseling sessions independently.  They are both working through some issues related to Anderson being forcefully deported and having immigration break down the door to their former apartment 12 years ago.  This incident traumatized both, and although they are no longer worried about Anderson’s status, they have some residual emotions to sort through.  They both feel that they cope with stress differently.  Ashley tends to turn to her sisters for support as well as prayer and counseling.  She feels at times however, that depression is an issue for her.  Anderson feels his counseling sessions are part of his coping skills.

The coping skills they use are a very good start.  Each attending counseling sessions individually allows them to work through personal issues within themselves.  However, Anderson is reluctant to utilize couples counseling.  Ashley feels they would benefit from having an outside party help them navigate some of their issues that have led to some feelings of resentment.

The Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention Models (CFAM/CFIM) would be helpful in assessing this family (Green, 2018).  The “individual members of a family are interdependent and reciprocally influence each other. Focusing only on the experiences of an individual will fail to provide a complete understanding of the impact of the family system on the individual’s well-being” (Huffman & Matthews, 2016, p. 97).  This model allows inclusion of the whole family, integrating them as a unit while attempting to keep interviews short, within 15-minute increments (Green, 2018).

This family would benefit from continuing individual counselling while incorporating some couples counseling.  They would be able to continue to work on their individuality as well as incorporating their roles to act more as a unit rather than an us versus me mentality.  They might also find that carving out some type specifically for them as a couple to relax and unwind would foster a closeness that would help with role relationships as well.

References

Green, S. Z. (2018). Understanding families and health promotion. In Grand Canyon University, Health Promotion: Health promotion & wellness across the continuum (1st ed.). [Academic Web version]. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs429vn/health-promotion-health-and-wellness-across-the-continuum/v1.1/#/chapter/4

Huffman, A. H., & Matthews, R. A. (2016, December 19). Family fairness and cohesion in marital dyads: Mediating processes between work–family conflict and couple psychological distress. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 90(1), 95-116. https://doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12165

Leahey, M., & Wright, L. M. (2016, September 12). Application of the Calgary family assessment and intervention models:  Reflections on the reciprocity between the personal and the professional. Journal of Family Nursing, 22(4), 450-459. https://doi.org/https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/1074840716667972

Appendix

• Values/Health Perception
  1. How do you describe your family’s health?
  2. What are your family values?
  3. What healthy behaviors do you have to maintain your health?
• Nutrition
  1. How many times a week do you eat out?
  2. How do you perceive your weight? Healthy, Underweight or Overweight?
  3. What does your diet typically consist of?
• Sleep/Rest
  1. What routine(s) do you have for sleep?
  2. Do you feel you get 8 hours?
  3. Describe the quality of your sleep.
• Elimination
  1. What are your typical urinary habits?
  2. What are your typical bowel habits?
  3. Has any member of your family had difficulty in either bowel or bladder? Describe
• Activity/Exercise
  1. Do members of your family engage in physical activity?
  2. If so, what types and how often?
  3. Do you engage in physical activity outside the home?
• Cognitive
  1. What are the educational levels of members of the family?
  2. How do you learn best? (VARK assessment)
  3. Is anyone currently seeking mental health services?
• Sensory/Perception
  1. How would you describe your hearing?
  2. How would describe your vision?
  3. Any difficulties with performing activities of daily living?
• Self-Perception
  1. Describe how you feel about yourself
  2. Describe your strengths
  3. Describe your weaknesses
• Role Relationship
  1. How do you view your role in the family?
  2. How do you perceive how your family sees your role within the family?
  3. Is there any conflict regarding the roles within your relationship?
• Sexuality
  1. Which sexual orientation do you identify with?
  2. Has there been any problems in conceiving children?
  3. Has there been any problems with sexual dysfunction?
• Coping
  1. How do you feel you handle stress?
  2. What are your coping mechanisms to deal with stressors?
  3. Do you perceive emotional problems in your family?