Heritage Assessment Tool
Health traditions can be regarded as an integral part of any family. Defining its members’ health behaviors and standards, these traditions are supposed to reducing health threats to which family members are exposed to a minimum. Even though family traditions for maintaining health standards may not align with prescribed healthy behaviors, studying families’ health-related beliefs, standards, and values is essential to the further identification of appropriate health management and promotion strategies. After an interview with my family member, I realized that believing in the evil eye was one of the unique family health traditions that had survived over the years of our family’s history. Furthermore, the idea of support and cooperation as the key to further recovery was an important part of our family’s health philosophy.
The practice of supporting family members despite all odds in their battle against diseases and disorders is, perhaps, the most peculiar aspect of our family health traditions. The specified belief came at a very high price for each of our family members when my great-grandmother developed an Alzheimer’s disease. On the one hand, retaining a positive attitude and providing emotional support and physical assistance to my great-grandmother was very challenging because of the changes in her personality and the rapid progression of her dementia, which led to the deterioration of our relationships. On the other hand, the specified strategy helped keep the family together and did not allow us to abandon the person that played a huge role in our lives at the time of need (Bogenschneider, 2014). Therefore, I believe that the concept of unity is the strongest aspect of our family health traditions, even though it may put a significant strain on each of us occasionally.
Familial Health Traditions
Even though health traditions are based on very old and sometimes even ancient practices, they are also heavily influenced by external factors that shape people’s understanding of how health management works. As a result, healthcare-related philosophies developed in families change continuously (Kaakinen, Coehlo, Steele, & Robinson, 2018). My family is not an exception to the specified rule. Although we have rigid standards concerning the necessity to provide active support within the family, our views of health standards, as well as our general health philosophy and values, have changed significantly over the years.
Among the key changes that my family experienced when its health values were shaped, I must mention the refusal to view religion as the source of physical and mental health. Although religious beliefs still play a crucial part in defining the spiritual development of my parents, siblings, and grandparents, it is not considered to condition physical and psychological well-being. Unlike my ancestors, my parents and grandparents seek the assistance of healthcare services whenever having a health concern, which is a crucial step toward preventing diseases and disorders in the family.
Therefore, it is remarkable that religious beliefs have transformed from being regarded as the source of health to representing the foundation on which the spiritual strength of my family originates. Viewing family support as the cornerstone of successful treatment and the basis for further healing, my relatives did not simply experience changes in their health philosophy but caused them intentionally. It would be a mistake to assume that our current health standards and philosophies are flawless. However, with the focus on support and progress, we will be able to incorporate health management strategies into our life to maintain good health.
References
Bogenschneider, K. (2014). Family policy matters: How policymaking affects families and what professionals can do. New York, NY: Routledge.
Kaakinen, J. R., Coehlo, D. P., Steele, R., & Robinson, M. (2018). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research (6th ed.). Davis, CA: F.A. Davis.