Assessing families in regards of their different attitudes allows to identify health issues and predict ones that can occur. Based on the functional health patterns of Gordon (1994), a family health evaluation of the Allens was performed. Three individuals make up the family: their eldest son Daniel, mother Katherine Allen, and father, James Allen. Benjamin and Johnathan, two minors, are present as well. This is a white Christian middle-class family who lives in a suburb that is relatively green, and it is usually cold in the area.
Speaking of values and health perception, the family seems to understand the benefits of healthy living for an individual’s health. The family members are aware of some habits, such as smoking by Mr. Allen and Daniel and a fondness for fast food by Mrs. Allen and the two young children, that may have a negative impact on their life. The family has a low incidence of recurring illnesses, excluding the odd cold that is related to the local cold weather. However, rather than being based on routine medical testing, the assessment is focused on signs that can be a result of sickness or predict it. This is one of the strengths in the health patterns of the family, as they understand how to be healthy.
Another strength is related to sleep and rest patterns. Everybody in the family slept for at least 7 hours every night. The minors sleep more while Mr. Allen sleeps the least since he “prefers a late-night,” in his words. The kids have a set bedtime and wake-up time, thus, the family’s sleeping patterns are generally constant. These sleep habits don’t appear to have been much disrupted. The only disruptions are the parents’ and Daniel’s occasional evenings out or working on projects. The wellness diagnostic, in this case, is one that shows the family is in a supportive environment and has created a dependable routine to secure and permit enough sleep and rest.
Nutrition might be one of the health barriers in the family. They emphasized that they were aware of all of the food’s nutritious categories and that they fully appreciated the significance of including all of these types in their regular diets. However, they acknowledged that not all food groups were present in their regular diet and that some groups, like starch and carbs, were present more frequently than others. The family admitted to indulging in fast food and items with a lot of processed sugar, especially Mrs. Allen and the two young children. However, they agreed that certain items might be harmful to their overall health.
Another issue for the family is work-related stress. The members appear to be experiencing varying degrees of stress in daily life. The most famous of them is Mr. Allen, who was promoted to head of department at his place of employment during the past year, raising his stress levels. Although they occasionally experience stress, the other members consider these levels to be typical. The family members said they were able to handle the stress by having peaceful evenings and weekends as well as going out with friends and relatives. Mr. Allen believes that drinking whiskey in the evenings helps him cope with the stress he experiences at work.
The other problem is related to the cognitive area. None of the participants has any difficulty comprehending, misunderstanding, or disorientation. However, Mrs. Allen has admitted to feeling a little disoriented after very long workdays, which is an indication of weariness rather than a cognitive impairment. Everyone in the family seems to have good memory retention skills, with the exception of Mrs. Brown, who claims she sometimes tends to forget where she put things. She explains this to her hectic work schedule. The health diagnostic, in this case, suggests a readiness and capacity to enhance family members’ cognition.
Regarding other aspects, neither of the members of the family had any complaints about irregular bowel movements or urinary issues. Compared to their parents, the younger members live an active life and exercise more frequently, yet the family walks they regularly have are sufficient. The family’s sensory perception suggests that all of the senses, including hearing, sight, taste, and smell, are operating properly. There is no evidence that any family member’s sensory perceptions are impaired. In terms of self-perception, with the exception of Mrs. Brown, who occasionally feels irritable after a long day, none of the family members classified themselves as chronically irritable. Regarding the role relationships, the family members see the contact as friendly, intimate, and founded on trust, respect, and support. Sexuality is in normal condition as well. Daniel stated that his sexual activity was satisfactory and mentioned no issues, whereas Mr. and Mrs. Allen stated that although their sexual interactions were satisfactory, they were less frequent recently because of work.
The major focus of family systems theory is on the behavioral exchanges that occur during a specific instant of contact between family members. According to the theory, both negative and good habits are created, maintained, and perpetuated by patterns of interaction among family members (Malik, 2021). The primary issues in the family are related to the poor choices of Mr. Allen to cope with stress and the dietary habits of Mrs. Allen. To solve these problems, it is necessary to create an environment within the family that would encourage these changes (Priest, 2021). Mr. Allen can try to engage more in children’s activities to find new ways to cope with stress (Kerig, 2019). Mrs. Allen should address her dietary problems by collectively making a common healthy diet for the family. In this case, it would be easier to restrain from fast food and sugar. Overall, family functions will positively change due to the interactions between parents and children. Children will be even more engaged in their activities because of their parents and will be more committed to a healthy diet.
References
Priest, J. B. (2021). The science of family systems theory. Routledge.
Kerig, P. K. (2019). Handbook of Parenting. Routledge.
Malik, N. (2020). Family systems theory. In M.D. Gellman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine (pp. 855-856). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Türen, S., & Enç, N. (2020).
Gordon, M. (1994). Functional Health Patterns: a structure for assessment. Nursing diagnosis: process and aplication, 3, 69-120.
Appendix
- Values and perceptions of health
- What does “health” mean to your family?
- Which feature or objective of health is most significant to your family as a whole?
- What do you do to maintain or restore your health?
- Nutrition
- What, in your opinion, does nutrition entail?
- What kinds of food do you currently have in your refrigerator and pantry?
- Can you name any factors or obstacles that prevent you from feeling as though you are obtaining adequate nutrition?
- Sleep/Rest
- How do you feel when you first get out of bed?
- Describe a normal bedtime, nighttime activities that may occur, and morning rituals.
- How do you feel while you go about your daily tasks during the day?
- Elimination
- How do you feel about the bowel habits in your family?
- How do you feel about the frequency and patterns of urination in your family?
- Does anyone in your household have a health issue that calls for particular considerations?
- Exercise/Activity
- What kind of enjoyable activities does your family embrace?
- How would you characterize your exercise regime?
- Are there any difficulties carrying out everyday tasks?
- Cognitive
- What is the family’s overall education level?
- Has there ever been a history of mental illness in the family?
- Does anyone in the family currently see or has previously seen a therapist?
- Perception of the senses
- Are there any sensory issues in the family? Were they amended?
- Does the family have a record of sensory issues?
- In terms of the senses, when was the last occasion a member of the family visited an audiologist or optometrist took place?
- Self-Awareness
- Do you believe you have a flaw or defect that is very obvious?
- Does anyone in the household seem to find her/his appearance unsettling?
- How would you characterize your everyday self-esteem?
- Sexuality
- Is there anyone in the household who is ambivalent or uncertain about their sexuality or how they feel about it?
- How has having kids worked out for the family?
- Has there ever been a known case of sexual dysfunction or infertility in the family?
- Coping
- How does the family typically handle issues?
- Do these behaviors often improve the issue or exacerbate it?
- Has anyone in the family received therapy for mental illness?
- Relationship of roles
- What function do you each play in the household, if any?
- Which of your connections do you think is exceptionally strong or not as deep as it should be?
- Does the family’s composition or dynamic have undergone any significant changes recently, upsetting their relationships?