The N. family was chosen in the community to be assessed with the help of a family health assessment. The purpose of the assessment is to discuss the specifics of the family composition, psychological and physical health, and to analyze the social aspects of the family development. The results of the family health assessment are summarized, three nursing diagnoses are identified, and the appropriate plan of care is proposed.
Family Health Assessment Data
While referring to the family composition, the N. family can be described as an extended family composed of Sui, the Asian 34-year-old mother; John, the Caucasian 39-year-old father; Ben, a 4-year-old son; Ann, a 14-year-old daughter; and Lu, the Asian 63-year-old grandmother. The father is a leader in the family, but it is rather difficult to determine the primary provider because both the mother and father work to support their family. The grandmother is responsible for assisting in caring for the children.
The function of family members is affected by such existing physical or psychological conditions as 63-year-old Lu’s coronary heart disease which prevents her from working actively during a long period of time; 39-year-old John’s asthma; 4-year-old Ben’s asthma which prevents him from much physical activity; and 14-year-old Ann’s generalized anxiety disorder which prevents her from interacting successfully at school.
The N. family lives in a house built in suburban territories during the 1980s-1990s. The community also does not suffer from air pollution because of low industry development. The N. family can be discussed as a middle-class family. Sui works in the retailing industry, and John is a manager in a small local company specialized in delivery. Sui and John are the breadwinners in the family.
Sui and John adequately accomplished all the developmental stages and tasks. 4-year-old Ben demonstrates the successful accomplishment of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social developmental tasks typical for his age. 14-year-old Ann seems to be rather infantile for her age in relation to the emotional and social spheres, the girl is focused on the grandmother’s help in resolving the everyday schedule and homework tasks. 63-year-old Lu suffers from the stress caused by the retirement for which the woman was not prepared psychologically. Stress in the family is often a result of Ann and Lu’s developmental states (Allender, Rector, & Warner, 2014, p. 112). Currently, the N. family is in the developing part of the Parental Years stage. The N. family successfully achieved the previous developmental stages.
The family members have a genetic predisposition to coronary and vascular diseases as well as to chronic respiratory diseases and asthma. The immunization status of the family can be discussed as good; the requirements for vaccination are followed. Adults and children in the family experience a range of health problems because of the lack of physical activity and adult smoking (Mirzaei & Aspin, 2013, p. 251). Thus, 63-year-old Lu suffers from coronary heart disease. 34-year-old Sui smokes regularly. 39-year-old John and 4-year-old Ben suffer from asthma. 14-year-old Ann suffers from frequent respiratory diseases and generalized anxiety disorder. 63-year-old Lu was recently hospitalized because of coronary heart disease and increased arrhythmias. The situation became stressful for Sui and John because of impossibility to receive help in caring for Ben. Sui and John chose to hire a qualified nurse for a long period in order to provide Lu with the necessary time for rehabilitation.
The N. family uses face-to-face communication and conversations by phone. The communication can be discussed as affective while discussing the interactions of Lu, Ann, and Ben because Lu spends much time with children. Sui and John prefer to discuss business themes at home. The father is responsible for making all decisions in the family. Sui can provide some advice on the issue. There is no evidence of violence in the N. family, and discipline is supported with the focus on performing tasks and gaining rewards. However, the family deals with crises unsuccessfully because the family members do not provide the necessary emotional support to each other.
The members of the N. family are Catholics, but they do not pay much attention to religious rituals. The family is of mixed cultural and ethnic heritage, but only Lu follows some of the Chinese traditions. The cultural heritage does not influence the family’s health and social state. While discussing the family’s goals, it is important to note that the family members are preoccupied with material values, and they do not focus on supporting their health (Bopp, Fallon, Bolton, & Kahl, 2012, p. 231). The family often relies on the external assistance of the family’s primary care provider. In spite of the lack of close communication in the family, the role conflicts are also absent. It is possible to note that the emergency plan of the N. family is based on contacting the family’s primary care provider and guaranteeing material rewards for persons providing the health and care assistants (nurses, babysitters).
Three Nursing Diagnoses for the Family
The nursing diagnoses for the N. family can be formulated the following way:
- The family members are at risk of worsening asthma conditions and chronic respiratory diseases as well as lung cancer because of smoking and lack of knowledge in the sphere of care (Kit, Simon, Brody, & Akinbami, 2013, p. 407).
- The adult members of the N. family are at risk of the emotional burnout because of the focus on work activities and the lack of effective communication.
- The family members are at risk of developing chronic heart diseases because of unhealthy eating habits, stresses, and inability to find the balance between work and rest.
Nursing Care Plan
Conclusion
The family health assessment includes not only physiological data but also the information on psychological, social, cultural, and economic factors affecting the life and health of the family. This data is important to propose effective interventions to cope with the identified risks. The nursing care plan provides the necessary information on improving the family’s health.
References
Allender, J. A., Rector, C., & Warner, K. D. (2014). Community health nursing: Promoting and protecting the public’s health. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins.
Bopp, M., Fallon, E. A., Bolton, D. J., & Kahl, D. (2012). Engaging community partners to develop a culturally relevant resource guide for physical activity and nutrition. Ethnicity & Disease, 22(2), 231–238.
Kit, B., Simon, A., Brody, D., & Akinbami, L. (2013). US prevalence and trends in tobacco smoke exposure among children and adolescents with asthma. Pediatrics, 131(3), 407-414.
Mirzaei, M., & Aspin, C. (2013). A patient-centred approach to health service delivery: improving health outcomes for people with chronic illness. BMC, 13(2), 251-263.