Family Health Assessment Family-Centered Health Promotion

Family Health Assessment Family-Centered Health Promotion

Family assessment is critical as it forms the basis of what is happening in the family and helps the nurse a multidimensional view into the family’s life (Flexa S, Lavareda C, and Nunes C, 2017). Nursing assessment and interventions for health promotions lead to increased health education and understanding, emotional and behavioral healing, and other improvements of each family’s well-being (Wright and Leahey,2013). Assessing family structure will explore which individual is within the family life circle. Assessing the relevant attributes defining the composition of the family, race/ethnicity, age, disability status, spirituality, social class, gender, sexual orientation, and the environment is essential.

When assessing the family, the nurse should take into consideration the physical and social environment, behavior of family and individual, and biological/genetic influences on the family to determine health.

This document is a family assessment performed by the writer for the Bangura family.

Family Structure (Individual, relevant attributes of family composition, race/ethnicity, social class, spiritual environment)

The Bangura family is a Nuclear family structure that lives in a three bedrooms apartment at Silver Spring, Maryland. The family is made up of a sixty years old husband regarded as the head of the family, forty years old and their  two children (nine years old daughter, and six years old son) both in elementary school. The Bangura family are migrants from Mali, West Africa. They followed the Islam religion.

Values/Health Perception.

            The husband has hypertension, and he is on a prescription for that. The wife has diabetes type 2, and she follows the instruction about self-monitoring of blood glucose and medications. Their nine years old daughter is over-weight, and their six years old son is looking healthy and has completed all of his immunization. They pray five times a day and read the Koran.

Nutrition

            The Bangura’s family eats more of rice, cassava, plantain, sweet potatoes and vegetable prepared with palm oil and goat meat or fish. Their children prefer chunk food, especially their nine years old daughter. When asked about the meaning of nutrition to them, the husband replied that they consume food in order to have nutrients. They denied having nutritional education.

Sleep/Rest

Mr. Bangura worked most times at night and reached home around 8 am, eat his breakfast before going to bed. He sleeps a maximum of six hours a day. Mrs. Bangura is a full-time housewife. She goes to bed with the Kids at 9 pm daily and woke up at 7 am to prepare them for school. They denied been fatigue.

Elimination

Mr. Bangura verbalizes of having constipation occasionally. They denied having urinary tract infections and diarrhea. The Bangura’s have a regular elimination pattern and has no issues with elimination.

Activities/Exercise.

They did not understand the importance of exercise until the wife’s diagnosis of type 2 diabetes a year ago. Exercise is part of the discharged instructions given to Mrs. Bangura, which they never followed-up on it. Mrs. Bangura spends most of her time preparing food and keeping the house clean while her husband sleeps during the day and work at night

Cognitive               

             The Bangura family can read and write well except for Mrs. Bangura, who dropped out of school whiles in grade 2 because her parent at that time does not value female education. There are no issues of forgetfulness in the family.

Sensory-Perception

             The Bangura family has no issues with their senses. They perceived illness when someone in the family lacks appetite and feels weak or tired with a headache.

Self-Perception

             The only image problem in the family is the nine years old daughter who is overweight. Mrs. Bangura did not see herself as overweight because this is her husband’s preference. Most men in West Africa prefer their wives to be thick as a sign of wealth. They have no problem with their neighbors and community.

Role Relationship

             Mr. Bangura is head of the family. He has to provide for the family financially and decides on behalf of the family. Mrs. Bangura’s role is to ensure that the family meal is ready on time, performing house chores, and ensuring that the children are ready for school before the husband returned from work.

Sexuality

             The Bangura family prefers not to talk about sex openly, as is regarded as a taboo and besides is not part of their culture. They believe sex should not be practice before marriage and should be a secret between the couple. Their worries are about their kids practicing sex before marriage, which is against their values and beliefs.

Coping

             The Bangura family believes good or bad is from Allah (God). They usually seek help with their extended family members or friends in the United States when in crisis.

Health/Health Behaviors

            Upon completing the assessment, there were key areas that need interventions. The weight of their  nine years old daughter, Mr. Bangura’s high blood pressure, and Mrs. Bangura’s newly type 2 Diabetes has worried the family. Mr. Bangura said he has been taking is high blood pressure medications ever since he was diagnosed with hypertension five years ago. He checked his blood once every month in a nearby clinic. Mrs. Bangura checks her blood sugar only when she feels sick. Their over-weight daughter prefers chunk food over a family meal.

Functional Health Patterns Strength, Health problems or Barriers to Health

             The strength of the Bangura family is to solicit help when they are in crisis. Knowledge deficit related to nutrition and exercise is a problem. Mrs. Bangura spends most of her time indoors, and the husband worked at night. The problems identified for their nine years old daughter are nutritional issues.

Application of the Family system theory

             The Bangura family were very motivated and willing to changes to help foster a healthy family. Mr. Bangura was willing to search for a day job so that he will help the wife to monitor her blood sugar and to walk the family outdoor in the evening. He is willing to purchase a self-monitoring blood pressure machine so that he will be checking his blood pressure at least twice a week rather than once monthly in the clinic. The family was encouraged to reduced high calorie by substituting white rice with brown rice and also encourage their children to eat prepared family meals.

Conclusion

             Gordon’s Functional Health patterns were helpful throughout the assessment of Bangura’s family and helped in formulating plans to help them restore a healthy lifestyle. The Bangura family was also supportive throughout the assessment.