Introduction
“Health is Wealth”, almost everyone would agree to have heard this proverb once in life, health maintenance does not require a lot of hard work however carelessness may result in a situation where even normal life does not remain easy. Health management is a widely studied subject and all kinds of media are full of information related to healthcare, but still there are a lot of issues that need to be tackled so that good health is maintained.
“Ryders are a small family which includes Jason, his wife, two children under the age of fifteen years and his parents. All of them live together and Jason takes care of the entire family whereas his father is on retirement pension, I have performed a functional health assessment of this family and the details of the same are mentioned below.
Health Perception – Health Management
In this section we questioned and assessed the kind of perception the family carries about their health, and the level of consciousness they have as far as health maintenance is concerned. The questions were asked about family’s general health, any instances of cough & cold in last 6 months, any activities done together to keep healthy and any other information if they would like to know about health management. Looking at the conversation with Jason and everyone regarding their perception, it is clear that, the entire family takes health management seriously, and good habits are maintained in the family so that the children also learn and follow the same.
Nutrition-Metabolism
This domain will help to understand the kind of eating habits maintained by the family and whether they have a balanced metabolism. Nutrition and Metabolism go hand-in-hand and both of them are very subjective in nature as they hugely vary from person to person. In order to assess the above, a small questionnaire was prepared based on meals, pattern, quantity, type of food, snacks, preferences and fluid intake. The time of daily meals and dental care were also a part of the assessment however only Jason’s wife was supposed to answer these questions as she looks after the family’s nutrition needs. The responses to the above questions revealed a healthy nutrition and eating pattern in the family and the assessment of nutrition and metabolism was satisfactory.
Elimination
In this domain the elimination pattern will be assessed, it is actually more important than the in-take and the reason behind this is that, intake can be regulated according to our needs and is non-toxic but if there are problems in elimination, they can lead to some serious issues which may need an immediate assessment. In order to do an examination here, there were questions asked about problems with elimination and whether all members noted a similar frequency and schedule. Jason’s father complained about long gaps at times between routine elimination and fecal elimination was assessed to agree that he was facing issues with digestion and was suggested to take lactulose solution after food for improved digestion and elimination. This assessment was also satisfactory and most of the members maintain a healthy elimination pattern.
Activity-Exercise
In this section we will discuss the physical activity of the family and if they exercise regularly. To do a health assessment with respect to the above domain, all the family members were asked about their frequency of exercise, leisure activities, housekeeping, budgeting related to activities etc. The inference suggested that most of the leisure activities were related to indoor activities like TV watching for adults and video games for children, which has resulted in a low activity in the entire family and also suggests the slightly high BMI.
Sleep – Rest
The assessment of sleep and rest is very important in this case as, this is something which plays a major role in maintaining a healthy living. The sleeping space was examined to find, if it is comfortable and appropriate, night time routine of children and family and daily rest patterns were assessed, also Jason was asked to discuss if the family finds time to relax and interact together each day. The responses suggested that though there is a lot of interaction between the members of the family and they all sit together in the evening, due to extended TV watching Jason and his wife sleep late due to which they agreed to experience fatigue at times during the day. The assessment was satisfactory again, however Jason and his wife were advised to maintain early sleeping habits in order to stay healthy and feel fresh during the day.
Cognitive – Perpetual
In this domain we checked the sensory functions and decision making in the family, the responses suggested that the family maintains a healthy environment and important decisions are taken with everyone’s consent which is satisfactory.
Self Perception – Self Concept
This domain required an assessment of the mood and family environment and if was interesting to find that the entire family maintained a very healthy behavior pattern, the elders loved the younger members of the family and the younger ones respected the elders hence maintaining a healthy perception and giving a satisfactory assessment.
Role – Relationship
Once again an assessment of this section revealed very healthy relationship between all the members of the family and there was a unique bonding between every family member with the other, and hence this domain also reveals satisfactory results.
Sexuality - Reproduction
Though private, this section is a very important aspect of ones well being, sexual activity is directly linked to health and must be discussed while assessing the health functionality. The only sexually active couple in the family is Jason and his wife, they enjoy a regular and healthy sexual activity and mentioned that they successfully executed their family plan as they have two children and they want no more. When asked about sex education for children, Jason agreed that he will take that initiative and will ensure that he talks to his children at the right age about sexual responsibilities.
Coping - Stress Tolerance
In this section I assessed the stress levels, internal or external issues and drug or alcohol use in the family, though the results were normal, there was an observation that during week-offs Jason used to take too much of alcohol which had resulted in stressful condition at times. Jason was explained the importance of balanced liquor consumption and was advised to avoid over doses as it may result in adverse effect on his family.
Value - Belief
The family maintains very religious views due to the elders who ensure that there are good values dwelling in the family and that children learn them as well. This assessment was also satisfactory and gave positive results.
Wellness and Nursing Diagnoses
In the above assessment, there were most of the findings which were satisfactory however there were a couple of diagnoses that require nursing care and supervision. Mr. Ryder Sr. is facing a challenge with elimination and a regular assessment and monitoring of his elimination pattern is to be done along with the use of lactulose as suggested for better digestion[ CITATION Web07 \l 1033 ]. Secondly, the entire family has a low activity pattern, which can prove to be harmful in the long run; hence an exercise pattern must be suggested and implemented to ensure that the lack of physical activity can be compensated[ CITATION Kni90 \l 1033 ].
Health promotion Strategies and Web Based Resource Help
In order to ensure that the family improves further in terms of health management, firstly there should be appropriate physical activity and in order to do that the adults must start a habit of mild exercising and should promote outdoor games for children[ CITATION Lyn06 \l 1033 ]. Secondly, adequate sleep is very important for everyone in the family and especially for Jason and his wife as they together lay a major role in the house hold and therefore timely sleep should be promoted[ CITATION Mac10 \l 1033 ].
Edelman & Mandle, 2010 have really provided a systems theory guide which helps to understand the importance of health assessment and also explains the way to ensure a sustained health mantenance. It is also important to look at emotional and motivational support in the family and this is an important health promotion strategy, moreover awareness about hazards and taking relevant precautions is important as well[ CITATION Jac06 \l 1033 ].
Conclusion
Ryders really maintain a good family health pattern and it is visible through the responses received, in a nutshell there is a good perception of health maintenance and is well handled by the entire family, however as discussed there are a couple of things improving which, any adverse effects expected in future may also be avoided. As highlighted, the physical activity of children and sleep pattern of Jason and his wife, needs to be inmproved. The children need to do more physicall activity and must be asked to play outdoor games, similarly going to bed early will help Jason and his wife to get rid of fatigue and sleepliness during the day. Jason should also ensure that if there is an alcohol consumption, it must be done in a controlled fashion . If we look at the overall picture of family health, we can infer that the family enjoys a healthy living.
Functional Health Assessment Questionnaire
1. How does the family keep healthy and how has the general health been? Any illness or surgery?
2. What is the typical meal pattern of the family, daily routine and food preference?
3. What is the pattern of elimination? Are there any existing problems with elimination?
4. Is exercising a regular habit of the family? What is the frequency of physical activity?
5. Does the family get enough opportunities to sleep and take rest?
6. Is there any hearing or sensory problem in the family?
7. What is the general mood of the family? How does the family think about their life?
8. Do you feel that you have a healthy relation with all other members in the family?
9. Do you think that regular sex is important in life? Is your family planning successful?
10. How problems are handled in the family? Is there any use of drugs of alcohol to cope with stress?
11. Is religion an important part of the family? How are values maintained in the family?
Works Cited
Knight, L., & Decker, S. D. (1990). Functional Health Pattern Assessment: A Seasonal Migrant Farmworker Community. Journal of Community Health Nursing Volume 7, Issue 3 , 141 - 151.
Lynn, C., & Edelman, C. L. (2006). Health Promotion Throughout Life Span. Boston: Arc Publishers .
MacFarlane, M. M. (2010). Family therapy and mental health: Innovations in theory and practice. Frankfurt: Solitaire Publications.
Weber, J. R. (2007). Nurses' Handbook of Health Assessment. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
