Values, Health Perceptions
Values and perceptions of health in a family are important for the facilitation of healthy habits and healthcare routines (Wright & Leahey, 2012). This family consists out of three people, which include two adults and a child (son). They consider themselves to be in good health. Mother and son see themselves as healthy. Father is recovering at home after having been discharged from the hospital. He underwent an operation on his back. The family checks out at their local primary care center frequently. Their main goals are to lose weight and try out a healthier diet.
Nutrition
Nutrition is an important parameter in a family health assessment. Many gastrointestinal diseases can be prevented by following a healthy and consistent diet pattern (Wright & Leahey, 2012). This family eats home-cooked meals every day, as the father is in charge of the cooking. The average dietary pattern for father and son includes three meals and 2-3 snacks in between, which is a European pattern. Mother has a relatively unbalanced diet, which varies between 800 and 3000 calories, depending on how much work she has. The imbalance is caused by a hectic schedule involving several jobs. Fast food is a frequent choice.
Sleep/Rest
Sleeping schedules are paramount to individual and family health. Cases of sleep excess or sleep deprivation can lead to numerous healthcare issues (Wright & Leahey, 2012). Father and son have a relatively healthy sleeping pattern. They go to sleep between 9 PM – 10.30 PM and wake up at 6 AM, thus getting 8-9 hours of sleep. Mother has an irregular sleeping pattern due to working several jobs. She usually gets 5-6 hours of sleep per day. The family follows a healthy morning routine.
Elimination
Analyzing elimination patterns is a good way to predict and prevent diseases and irregularities of the gastrointestinal tract (Wright & Leahey, 2012). The standard elimination pattern for the entire family is once every two days. Mother’s elimination pattern shifts from morning to mid-day if she does not have enough time and is late for her shift. Such irregularities cause infrequent constipation. There is little information about father and son’s elimination patterns.
Activity/Exercise
Activity and exercise are excellent ways of preventing diseases and maintaining a healthy body (Wright & Leahey, 2012). Exercise patterns differ from one family member to another. Son is the most active member of the family, as he exercises at school and visits the gym frequently. Father performs physical activity as part of his post-operational recuperation routine. However, due to his back injury, he is unable to perform intensive exercises. He usually runs on the treadmill. Mother has no time for exercises, as she is working night shifts and has a fluid working schedule. She used to exercise with a trainer, but her current membership is suspended.
Sensory, Perception, and Cognitive
Sensory, perceptive, and cognitive stimulation is necessary for healthy brain activity (Wright & Leahey, 2012). The family reports no sensory, perception, or cognitive problems. All members of the family are capable of speaking two languages and are interested in academic literature. Mother is subscribed to several scientific nursing journals. Son is showing academic prowess and school. Learning new things has never been an issue for either member of the family.
Self-Perception
Self-perception is directly tied with maintaining mental health and the likelihood of developing various psychological disorders (Wright & Leahey, 2012). The family is confident in their personalities and has clear and well-defined goals for the future. Mother is excited and enthusiastic about becoming an RN nurse, and her efforts are currently focused on studying. Son is performing well at school, and although he still has several years before graduation, he is already planning to begin his master’s program. Although their father currently stays at home due to his back injury, he is attending online courses to help out his family.
Role Relationship
Most families act as units, where each member has a particular role. There are no gender-defined roles in the family. Mother is the main provider for the family due to her husband’s injury. Although chores are said to be split equally among the family, most of them are likely performed by the father, who has to stay at home. The family follows a democratic model, where all major decisions are made collectively. Since mother works several jobs, she does not have the time to involve herself in family matters as much, due to a lack of time and overall exhaustion.
Sexuality
Sexual relationships make an important part of family life and contribute to physical and psychological health (Wright & Leahey, 2012). The couple’s love life has slowed down due to the father’s injury, mother’s work, and age slowly influencing both of them. Nevertheless, romantic nights and dates are still common, to ensure a healthy relationship. The couple does not plan to have any more children, so they use protection. The kind of protection utilized is unspecified. No information about the child’s sexuality is available.
Coping
Coping mechanisms in a family are important, as they help avoid stress and facilitate a healthier relationship (Wright & Leahey, 2012). This family practices outdoor activity as a means of relieving stress. These include biking, hiking, swimming, and kayaking. However, due to the father’s recent injury, these activities have been removed from the schedule. The mother visits the spa at least once a week when she is able. No information about the son’s coping methods is available. To avoid conflicts and unnecessary stress, the family makes plans and preparations ahead of time.
Potential Health Problems
Judging from the results of this particular family health pattern examination, there are several potential healthcare issues to be addressed. They are mostly associated with both parents, as the child seems to have no detectable irregularities in his health patterns. Father is currently recovering from an operation on his back, which is a very serious healthcare concern. Although it was stated that the family is performing routine health checks, there is no mentioning of house calls or online communication with the local healthcare providers. Without guidance, recovery efforts have the potential to go astray, as the patient may forget or misinterpret the instructions provided to him (Edelman & Mandle, 2018). Father should withhold himself from lifting any heavy objects or performing labor-intensive chores, leaving those to son, who is a grown adult and should be capable of handling some of the burdens.
Healthcare concerns involving mothers include sleep deprivation, lack of exercise, burnout, and unhealthy diet. Together, these factors could contribute to the development of obesity, diabetes, various heart diseases, stress, and depression (Edelman & Mandle, 2018). The majority of these stressors are caused by the financial situation in the family, where the woman is left as the sole provider for the family. The situation would be stabilized once she finds a job with better pay and better hours, or when her husband would be able to help support the family again.
References
Edelman, C. L., & Mandle, C. L. (2018). Health promotion throughout the lifespan (9th ed.). New York, NY: Elsevier.
Wright, L. M., & Leahey, M. (2012). Nurses and families: A guide to assessment and intervention. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company.