NURSING

The Friedman Family Assessment Model (Short Form)

modified for this assignment

The following Friedman Family Assessment Short Form is useful as a quick instrument to help highlight areas of family function that will need more exploration. Before using the following guidelines in completing family assessments, two words of caution are noted: First, not all areas included below will be appropriate for the families you interview and assess.

The guidelines are comprehensive and allow depth when probing is necessary. Second, by virtue of the interdependence of the family system, one will find unavoidable redundancy. For the sake of efficiency, please try not to repeat data, but to refer back to sections where this information has already been described.

IDENTIFYING DATA

1. Family Name (Initials only)

2. Family Composition: The Family Genogram

3. Cultural (Ethnic) Background

4. Religious Identification

5. Social Class Status

6. Social Class Mobility

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE AND HISTORY OF FAMILY

7. Family’s Present Developmental Stage

8. Extent of Family Developmental Tasks Fulfillment

9. Nuclear Family History

10. History of Family of Origin of Both Parents

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

11. Characteristics of Home

12. Characteristics of Neighborhood and Larger Community

13. Family’s Geographical Mobility

14. Family’s Associations and Transactions With Community

15. Communication Patterns Extent of Functional and Dysfunctional Communication

(types of recurring patterns)

· Extent of Emotional (Affective)

· Messages and How Expressed

· Characteristics of Communication Within Family Subsystems

· Types of Dysfunctional Communication Processes Seen in Family

· Areas of Closed Communication

18. Power Structure

· Decision-making Process

19. Role Structure

· Formal Role Structure

· Informal Role Structure

· Variables Affecting Role Structure

20. Family Values

· Identify important family values and their importance (priority) in family.

· Presence of Value Conflicts in Family

· Effect of the Above Values and Value Conflicts on Health Status of Family

FAMILY FUNCTIONS

21. Affective Function

· Mutual Nurturance, Closeness, and Identification

· Separateness and Connectedness

22. Socialization Function

· Family Child-rearing Practices

· Adaptability of Child-rearing Practices for Family

· Value of Children in Family

· Cultural Beliefs That Influence Family’s Child-rearing Patterns

· Social Class Influence on Child-rearing

23. Health Care Function

· Family’s Health Beliefs, Values, and Behavior

· Family’s Definitions of Health-Illness and Its Level of Knowledge

· Family’s Perceived Health Status and Illness Susceptibility

· Family’s Dietary Practices

■ Adequacy of family diet

■ Function of mealtimes and attitudes toward food and mealtimes

· Sleep and Rest Habits

· Physical Activity and Recreation Practices

· Family’s Therapeutic and Recreational Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Practices

· Family’s Role in Self-care Practices

· Medically Based Preventive Measures (physicals, eye and hearing tests, immunizations, dental care)

· Complementary and Alternative Therapies

· Family Health History (both general and specific diseases—environmentally and genetically related)

· Feelings and Perceptions Regarding Health Services

FAMILY STRESS, COPING, AND ADAPTATION

24. Family Stressors, Strengths, and Perceptions

· Stressors Family Is Experiencing

· Strengths That Counterbalance Stressors

· Family’s Definition of the Situation

25. Family Coping Strategies

· How the Family Is Reacting to the Stressors

· Extent of Family’s Use of Internal Coping Strategies (past/present)

· Extent of Family’s Use of External Coping Strategies (past/present)

· Dysfunctional Coping Strategies Utilized (past/present; extent of use)

26. Family Adaptation

· Overall Family Adaptation

· Estimation of Whether Family Is in Crisis

Source: Friedman, M. M., Bowden, V. R., & Jones, E. G. (2003). Family nursing: Research, theory, and practice (5th ed., pp. 593–594). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.