Family Health Assessment Part 1

Family Health Assessment Part 1

Family Health Assessment Part 1

Family Health Assessment Part 1

The involvement of nurses with families is not a new phenomenon as families have long been the clinical point of focus for clinicians working in a home setting (Wu et al., 2020). Over the past decade, there has been an upsurge of interest in assessing the family unit to promote an understanding of the health promotion and disease prevention activities that can be adopted by the family  (Wu et al., 2018). The family assessment not only narrows down to risk factors but also involves the perception of the nurse regarding the family’s norms, constitution, theoretical knowledge, standards, and community abilities (Lauritzen et al., 2018). The nurse utilizes open communication when conducting family health assessments to promote the level of accuracy of the information provided. The purpose of this assignment is to analyze the assessment findings of the conducted interview with Shawn’s family.

Family Structure

            Shawn’s family is a middle-class nuclear family that resides in Fort Lauderdale, Broward county, Florida. They live together in a three-bedroom apartment downtown. The family is composed of a 55 years old husband, Mr. Shawn, who is a father of two. He is considered the head of the family. The wife, Mrs. Shawn is 49 years only, with their daughter being 10 years old Amanda, and their son, John, is 12 years old. Both the children are in middle school. The family is of African American descent. They are strong Christians, who go to church every Sunday.

Family Health and Health Behaviours

Values/Health Perception

The family believes in seeking medical care when ill. Mr. Shawn is hypertensive and is managing the condition with dietary interventions and antihypertensives. Mrs. Shawn is diabetic and on metformin and Glibenclamide to control her blood sugar levels. Amanda is obese and tries to exercise to cut down on her weight. John on the other hand is healthy, with all childhood immunizations up to date. They believe in supporting each other to promote their health, with Christ as their true healer.

Nutrition

            The family used to consume high-calorie foods including sweet potatoes, cassava, wheat, rice, and red meat among others. However, ever since Mr. Shawn was diagnosed with hypertension, the family has tried as much as possible to cut their calorie intake and shift to a heart-healthy diet. Mr. Shawn was diagnosed with diabetes about 2 years ago, which also led to the family being keen on a healthy and balanced diet.

Rest/Sleep

            All the family members report getting enough rest and sleep every night. Mr. and Mrs. Shawn sleep for about 8 hours each. Besides, their two children sleep for 8 hours every night.

Elimination

            Mr. Shawn reported frequent episodes of constipation about two years ago, which were associated with dehydration. It was however managed, and the family currently reports regular elimination patterns.

Exercise/Activities

            Mr. Shawn and his son, Jjohn, exercise every Saturday by playing basketball. Mr. Shawn walks the dog every night. Amanda on the other hand like staying back at home, with limited activity level.

Cognitive

            The intellectual capacity of Mr. Shawn’s family is average. They can all read and write appropriately. No cognitive defects run in the family.

Sensory-Perception

Mr. Shawn’s family reported no sensory issues at the moment. However, his son reported incidences of headaches about two weeks ago when he had the flu.

Self-Perception

            Only one member of the family reported problems with self-perception. Mr. Shawn’s daughter Amanda is obese and has been trying to diet to lose weight, only ending up adding a few more pounds. She feels embarrassed and humiliated by her body image.

Role Relationship

Mr. Shawn is considered the head of the family and the main provider. Mrs. S