Family Health Assessment Persuasive

Family health assessment in a vital tool that helps the family be aware of any problems concerning planning and maintaining good health. The nurse plays an important role in assessing the health of a family with the use of the 11 Gordon’s functional health patterns. The use of open ended questions enables the nurses to determine the present and past health state of a family. Functional health patterns provide a framework for the planning of care and health promotion (Flannigan & Jones, 2011). Using Gordon’s functional health patterns, this paper will analyze data drawn from the family health assessment. The family chosen have been married for 5 years, this is the second marriage for both members of this union.

Values, Health Perception
Both husband and wife of the family assessed are 38 years old, both have high cholesterol and pre diabetes. They both take medication as prescribed for high cholesterol. Both husband and wife received health education for diabetes from a diabetic educator and nutritionist, preventing diabetes is very important to them. They do not smoke or use recreational drugs or alcohol. They are of the Christian non-denominational faith and attend their religious institution regularly. On further discussion with this family, they have each had an intentional weight loss of 45lbs. They follow up with their primary care physician for lab work every 6 months, and follow a weight loss and exercise program to prevent the onset of diabetes. The family is focused on restoring health and maintaining wellbeing. Wellness diagnosis – Effective therapeutic regimen management, due to compliance with medication administration, diet and exercise program, and regular follow ups with their primary care physician (PCP) to monitor progress of health improvement. Nutrition

This family follows a low carb, low sugar and low fat diet. They take fish oil supplements, the wife also takes calcium with vitamin D. Their PCP is aware of the over counter medications they take. The husband cannot recall his diet for the past 24 hours but the wife keeps a food diary and was able to give her 24 hour diet recall. The family follows a healthy diet to assist in keeping cholesterol and blood sugars under control, and to aid weight maintenance at a healthy body mass index (BMI). This family shares meal planning and food preparation. They have an appointment with a nutritionists this week to assist them with ideas for healthy meal planning and preparation. Wellness diagnosis – Readiness to enhance nutritional metabolic pattern. This family want to learn more about food nutrition to prevent the onset of diabetes. They understand this is a lifelong maintenance program.

Sleep/Rest
The sleep patterns of this family vary. The husband reports he has no trouble getting to sleep and often has 8-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. The wife reports she has difficulty falling asleep, and only sleeps for 5-6 hours a night, waking at least twice during the night. She frequently feels the need to take a nap when she gets home from work. The husband reported during this assessment that he has noticed his wife sometimes takes long pauses between breathing when she sleeps. She will follow up with her PCP this week. Nursing diagnosis – sleep pattern disturbance.

Elimination
This family report normal daily bowel function and normal urinary function, no bladder or bowel incontinence. They do not use laxatives or over the counter medications, and neither have skin sores or open draining wounds. When the husband left the room the wife reported that she has stress incontinence while exercising. She will notify her PCP during her appointment this week. Nursing diagnosis – Altered urinary elimination due to stress incontinence. Activity/Exercise

This family have no limitations with movement and do not require assistive devices for ambulation. They both have gym memberships and exercise five days a week. The husband attends the gym for treadmill and weights five days a week. The wife attends the gym for treadmill 3 days a week and attends a Zumba class two days a week. On weekends they take walks together with their two dogs. This family have a well-developed activity pattern. Cognitive

This family does not have a problem with concentration or memory. Both can recall todays date appropriately, and do not have a problem with decision making. They have good cognitive function. Sensory-Perception

Both family members use glasses for reading. They both report they do not use hearing aids but have noticed a deterioration in hearing over the past couple of years. They do not required assistance with activities of daily living. The family has appointments with an optometrist and audiologist this week. Nursing diagnosis – Disturbed sensory perception due to hearing loss.

Self-Perception
Both family members do not suffer from anxiety, depression or loss of hope. They do not require the use of antidepressant. Both husband and wife report they feel great about themselves and what they have achieved through diet and weight loss, and it gives them a feeling of empowerment over their own life. They have good self-perception.

Role Relationship
This is the second marriage for both family members. They do not have children from either marriages. Both family members are employed, the husband is an accountant and the wife is a sales manager. Decision making in this family is that of a partnership, with discussion, compromise and agreement of both parties. Sexuality

Both parties openly report there are no problems with their sex life. They use birth control to prevent pregnancy, and they do not plan of having children in the future. Coping Both family members report that their work causes stress and they both have different methods for relieving stress. The husband watches sports on T.V, the wife pedicure or massage. Praying together is a stress reliever for both. They do not use medication, recreational drugs or alcohol to relieve stress. On further discussion with this family the wife stated that she had a child in her previous marriage, and that child was killed in a motor vehicle accident along with her previous husband. She talked of how in previous years it made her sad to think about it, but has comfort in knowing they are together. She copes well, attended grief counseling through her church, and no longer suffers sadness or depression over this.

Their relationship is focused on being loving and supportive of each other. Gordon developed the system of health patterns to provide nurses an approach to make a nursing diagnosis concerning the health of the individual and family (Jones & Foster, 2006). Using Gordon’s functional health patterns, the writer was able to provide nursing diagnosis of a disturbed sensory perception due to hearing loss for both family members, and altered urinary elimination due to the wife’s stress incontinence during exercise. The uninitiated discussion at the end of this assessment was also very informative. When both family members remarried they were both over weight and diagnosed with pre diabetes. They attended a weight watchers program together and joined a gym. Since they started on this weight loss journey they have individually lost 45lbs, both A1C results have been within normal range for the past 12 months. They are both advocates in their church for exercise and weight loss through prayer, and have even started a running for God program, training for a 5K. Until last year their life consisted of work, eating and watching TV. The assessment provided information and nursing diagnosis, to assist their journey of improved health.

References

Flanagan, J. and Jones, D. (2011). Functional health patterns. In Encyclopedia of nursing research. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.credoreference.com.library.gcu.edu%3A2048%2Fcontent%2Fentry%2Fspennurres%2Ffunctional_health_patterns%2F0 Jones, D. A., & Foster, F. (2006). Functional health patterns (2nd. Ed). New York: Springer Publishing Company. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/189448802?accountid=7374