professional association

Family Health Assessment Part II: Taylor Family

Stephanie Green

Grand Canyon University: NRS 429VN

November 4, 2018

Running head: ASSIGNMENT TITLE HERE

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Running head: FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT PART II

Family Health Assessment Part II: Taylor Family

Our health is determined by social and economic factors, quality of schools, safety at our place of employment, clean water, food and air, and our social and personal relations (Healthy People, 2018). The conditions in which we live include the support systems within the home.

The social determinants of health (SDOH) affecting the Taylor family dwell within the social and personal relations. The barriers to health the family demonstrates, the non-compliance of the father and the unwillingness of both spouses to seek counseling, the support system within this family is lacking and has placed stress upon the entire family. According to Artiga and Hinton, stress negatively affects health across the lifespan (2018).

The non-compliance of Mr. Taylor to adhere to a prescribed health regime to stabilize the Crohn’s disease not only places a physical stress on the body but also psychological stress of social isolation, feelings of unworthiness, depression, and anxiety. Frustration the mother feels is also a stressor upon her and the children. Stress upon the family manifests in higher cholesterol and high blood pressure in the mother due to poor eating habits, and a lack of exercise. The oldest daughter fears talking to her parents regarding her feelings that she is a lesbian because she does not want to cause further anxiety and distress within the family. This reflects her mother’s behaviors of suppressing emotions. Likewise, the two younger children are possibly suppressing emotions but do not yet realize this is occurring.

Knowing that some SDOH cannot be completely changed, steps can be taken to improve one’s health when the tools and resources are provided to assist in making healthier choices (HealthyPeople.Gov, 2018). Recommended health screenings for the father, (age 42), include screenings for blood pressure, colorectal cancer, lipid disorders, tuberculosis, diet, tobacco use, flu shot, hepatitis A and B, pneumococcal and meningococcal, along with an extensive mental health workup due to his chronic disease state and PTSD (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2018).

For the mother, age 38, recommended screening for blood pressure, lipid disorders, diabetes due to high blood pressure, counseling on diet and exercise, yearly flu shot, hepatitis A and B due to husbands chronic condition, pneumococcal, and depression. The family does receive yearly health checks that include gynecologic for the mother and daughters and vision and dental (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2018).

All three children are up to date on immunizations for their ages. Additional screenings and immunizations recommended would include seasonal flu vaccine, meningococcal, hepatitis A and B, and human papilloma virus (HPV). Behavioral counseling related to sexually transmitted diseases, diet and exercise and depression are also recommended due to the family lifestyle and faulty coping mechanisms within the family unit (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2018).

Research shows that families living with a chronic illness can be a distressing experience for the family. To meet the needs of the family, a family systems intervention model is necessary (Perrson & Benzein, 2014). The Family Health Conversation Model (FamHC), developed in Sweden as an adaptation of the Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM), the Calgary Family Intervention Model (CFIM) and the Illness Beliefs Model (IBM). The FamHC creates a context for change and to support the creation of new beliefs or meanings and opportunity related to the problems identified by the family. The FamHC consists of twelve core components (Ostlund, Backstrom, Lindh, Sundin, & Saveman, 2015).

Following these core components of the FamHC outlined by Ostlund, Backstrom, Lindh, Sundin, and Saveman, a plan of care for the Taylor family would be established to meet weekly for one hour family conversations relating to each person’s feelings surrounding the chronic illness of the father and their view on the family dynamics (2015).

The nurse invites the family to reflect on their own and each other’s expectations of the conversations. In the first conversation, the family structure is explored. To give each family member the opportunity to share and listen to each other’s stories, all are invited to narrate their own stories and to focus on their problem(s). When the family shares their story, the nurse can begin a dialogue with the family about what is most in need of being discussed. Different methods of questioning are used to understand what has happened and what beliefs are central for the family (Ostlund, Backstrom, Lindh, Sundin, & Saveman, 2015).

During the conversations, reflective thinking is emphasized and circular questions are used to define and seek information about differences, such as family relations, or beliefs. This can initiate reflection and allows the family members to put into words their internal conversations and become aware of their own beliefs. Appropriately unusual questions, intended to depart just enough from the family’s own beliefs, allow new directions for thinking (Ostlund, Backstrom, Lindh, Sundin, & Saveman, 2018).

Commendations by the nurse in which family strengths and resources are drawn forth, allows the family to see their own internal strengths and external resources. The suffering families have gone through, and still may experience, should also be discussed (Ostlund, Backstrom, Lindh, Sundin, & Saveman, 2015).

The nurse invites family members to reflect on each other’s stories. At the end of each conversation, the family is asked to listen to a comprehensive reflection. After the nurses’ reflection, the family is invited to reflect on the nurses’ thoughts (Ostlund, Backstrom, Lindh, Sundin, & Saveman, 2015).

With each conversation, the nurse will ask the family to review what has happened in the family since the last conversation. This helps the family identify changes that have taken place or been reflected upon. At the conclusion of the FamHC, the nurse summarizes what has been experienced during the entire conversation series and recounts the central issues that have been discussed and pursued (Ostlund, Backstrom, Lindh, Sundin, & Saveman, 2015).

Although other models could be helpful to the Taylor family, the FamHC would be the most beneficial due to the breakdown of communication among the family members. Utilizing the twelve components of the FamHC, the Taylor family could learn to have an open dialogue related to their feelings and re-establish the family bond. When the family has regained cohesiveness then work on the physical problems could begin.

References

Artiga, S. and Hinton, E. (May 10, 2018). Beyond Health Care: The Role of Social Determinants