Family Assessment
The given paper is devoted to the in-depth analysis of a family with a member having type 2 diabetes. The are several reasons for the completion of this assessment. Today, the given chronic disease becomes one of the core problems of the healthcare sector. Poor health literacy, along with inappropriate dietary habits and the lack of physical exercises, is considered risk factors that might precondition the appearance and further development of various types of diabetes. Today, about 9,4% of the population has diabetes, and the number continues to grow because of the existence of beneficial conditions (“Statistics about diabetes,” n.d.). Moreover, the gaps in knowledge among the population result in the increased number of children with this disease. Diabetes can promote the appearance and development of multiple complications that significantly deteriorate the quality of people’s lives. For this reason, the purpose of the paper is to assess a certain family to discover the most important aspects and factors associated with diabetes.
Family Structure
The analyzed family consists of three members. To preserve anonymity, initials instead of their names will be used.
The mother, AS, is a 57-year-old Caucasian woman with a traditional sexual orientation. She is Catholic and visits the church regularly. She works as a teacher in the local college and belongs to the middle class. At the moment, AS has type 2 diabetes and adheres to a diet to manage it. Her medical history includes hypertension, cataract, and the first stage of obesity.
The father, JS, is a 60-year old Caucasian man of a traditional sexual orientation. He is an atheist. At the moment, he is a retired military officer and belongs to the middle class. His medical history includes hypertension, gastritis, and appendectomy.
Their daughter, BS, is a 27-year-old Caucasian female of a traditional sexual orientation. She is not married and lives with her parents. She works as an educator in the local college. She is an atheist. Her medical history includes problems with extra weight, hypertension, myopia, and head injury.
The husband’s father, GS, an 87-year-old Caucasian straight man. He is an atheist and a retired military who represents the middle class. The medical history contains hypertension, head injury, arm fracture.
The husband’s mother, FS, is 83-year-old Caucasian female of a traditional orientation. She is Catholic. She does not have working experience as she is a housewife. Her medical history includes hypertension, myopia, and mastectomy.
The wife’s father, GD, died from a heart attack at the age of 65. He was a Caucasian man with a traditional sexual orientation. He visited a Christian church and worked as a teacher in the college. He had glaucoma, cardiovascular disease, ischemia.
The wife’s mother, JD, died from a stroke at the age of 66. She was a Caucasian woman of traditional sexual orientation and Christian beliefs. She suffered from type 2 diabetes, glaucoma, myopia, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. She was a housewife.
Family Developmental Stage
Analyzing the given family, it is essential to determine its current developmental stage. At the moment, the phase of its lifecycle can be classified as retirement or senior years (“Family life cycle,” n.d.). The husband and wife managed to raise and educate a child and how they have some peaceful and relaxing times. Relations between family members are warm and trustworthy. They respect each other and spend many times in some common activities. AS and JS still like spending free time together and have hobbies that help them to entertain.
The following genogram shows the structure of the family:
Applying the Watson theory to the family, it is possible to say that caring becomes the central idea that holds people together and provides them with multiple benefits, especially at the end of their lives. As far as the analyzed unit is at the retirement stage, the theory holds a high priority for all its members (“Core concepts of Jean Watson’s theory of human caring/caring science,” n.d.). As far as AS has diabetes, she needs assistance to monitor the state of her health and adhere to the dietary prescriptions. For this reason, from the perspective of Watson’s theory, at the given stage of their evolution, care becomes a central phenomenon helping to avoid critical complications or problems.
Family Functional Status
Assessment of family functional status is also critical for the improved understanding of how its members cope with problems and overcome challenges. From the interview, it becomes obvious that all members are satisfied with the way they communicate. AS and JS note that their interaction remains emotional, and they do not have problems in understanding. On the contrary, at the moment, they correctly realize the needs of each other, and their interaction is focused on these requirements fulfillment. As for the non-verbal forms, facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact evidence that there are no serious conflicts between family members.
As for the problem-solving activities, family members prefer to discuss all complex issues together. JS states that it is a part of their everyday life and a sort of ritual as it provides an opportunity to get together and communicate. In such a way, a specific type of crisis management is used as they can brainstorm the existing problem and offer methods that can be effective in mitigating its negative consequences.
The distribution of roles in the family is traditional. JS is taken as the head of the family with all functions and power. He has always been the main earner and supported other relatives. At the same time, his authority rests on the behavioral patterns peculiar to a Christian community. For this reason, in different situations, he plays a leading role by organizing people or accepting their suggestions. At the same time, AS has some supportive functions as she cares for her husband and has a strong influence on him. As for their daughter, her opinion is also considered as she is a member of their family.
Finally, the family has a considerably high level of health literacy. The existence of many serious diseases in the family history, along with the current problem and type 2 diabetes AS, has resulted in the generation of extensive knowledge about self-care and prevention. The family adheres to a diet as it is a key for the mother’s recovery. At the same time, they regularly visit the local healthcare facility to be examined and provided with new recommendations regarding their treatment.
Conclusion
Altogether, the pivotal aim of the paper was to assess the family with a member who has a chronic disease. The investigation showed that regardless of the existence of this problem, the functional status remains at the appropriate level. The complex medical history preconditioned the emergence of many issues among family members. At the same time, they try to provide demanded care to preserve the high quality of life and avoid its critical deterioration.
References
Core concepts of Jean Watson’s theory of human caring/caring science. (n.d.).
Family life cycle. (n.d.).
Statistics about diabetes. (n.d.).