Nursing: Family Health Assessment

Family health assessment
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Family health assessment is a practice mostly performed by nurses in their attempts to evaluate and establish the specific health condition of a given patient or family. This procedure enables the nurses and other medical practitioners to identify the specific areas that pose threats and potential risk for illness, opportunities for health education and other appropriate measures required to be implemented. The assessment focuses on the areas such as the health perceptions, family history, health records, reports and the clinic result (Fitzpatrick & Kazer, 2012). In order to effectively achieve the best results from the assessment, the nurses ought to efficiently conduct interviews, compile data appropriately, and conduct a physical exam. This should be followed by nursing diagnoses and finally identify a focus area that is capable of bringing optimal health benefits to the specific family. Through the application of the Gordon`s 11 functional health patterns, an efficient family health assessment was carried out on the Smith family and several outcomes were witnessed (Fitzpatrick & Kazer, 2012).
Every time the word family comes into play, the first notion that comes to mind is the harmonious setting filled with family members. However, in due course, the term family has been seen to vary in different environments. In most settings, families are just as different as the members that compose them and many regulars have deeply embedded the principles that concern their families and merit appraisal and respect. Normally, family is the prime social situation in which health support and disease averting takes place. This is attributed to the fact that health conduct of most family members is highly influenced by their core values, morals, beliefs and practices (Weber & Kelley, 2009).
Despite having several health complications and setbacks, the Smiths have always remained as intact as always. However, these setbacks have in recent years drained the family`s resources as the need to have better treatment is inevitable. Dan smith, retired realtor, has battled with diabetes and esophagus cancer for the most part of his life. Dan`s condition is hereditary as his father also ailed from the same. His wife Sarah (a curator) is always supportive of him and takes good care of the family. Before the family relocated to Chicago, Dan had been diagnosed several times with diabetes. Their first-born Brandon is a Chicago attorney and is arguably the most fit, given his participation in college football. The other two children, Valerie (banker) and Hope (journalist) are also fit health wise and have not had any health implications whatsoever. Regardless, the Smiths are well educated and are always dedicated to keep fit and maintain their heath always.
Pertaining health perception and health management, efforts were made to examine the clinical value of presenting tailored precautionary messages which are customized to family history danger adopted to improve health conducts (Weber & Kelley,2009). The main aim of carrying out this assessment was to examine the impact of Family Health-ware on adjusting disease threat perceptions. Dan is adamant that since the disease is hereditary, his lineage will also be affected. From his perception, he firmly believes that since the family is aware of their plight, all they can do is develop strong values that can guide and make them stronger to face this predicament. Notably, none of the family members smoke.
In regards to the family nutrition and metabolic pattern, the Smiths are always strict in maintaining a balanced diet. Dan narrates in the interview how he has always advocated for the promotion of a healthy lifestyle by consuming the re...