Family Health Assessment - Essay Example

“Partnership, participation and equality” of the nurse health visitor and the family could be promoted (WHO, 2001). Even if there were no health needs at the first visit, the health visitor would be notified when there were any. Planning and delivery of the services comprising of the most effective care was possible. The nurse health visitor could practice the ethics of equity in her approach to care. Social justice could be meted out. Through collaborative association with the community, other agencies and professionals, she would deal with the issues at hand.

I have selected Mr. Edwin’s family for assessment. Mr. and Mrs. Edwin had two children and the grandmother staying with them. a).Values and Health perception To my questions about illnesses, the obvious answer was that there was nobody ill in that house. My perceptions were against this notion. Mr. Edwin and Mrs. Edwin and Mr. Edwin’s mother Clara, looked undernourished. The elder boy of five, John, looked normal and appeared naughty. The baby of eight months seemed okay but she did not have dentition yet.

Their health needs had not yet been recognized by them. Seventy-eight old Mrs. Clara was definitely unable to look after herself due to her confusion, memory loss, incontinence for stools and urine. This family had health-seeking behaviors with incomplete health maintenance. Each had to have a health regime management to support them (Weber, 2005). b). Nutrition At eight months, the baby had only milk (both breast and otherwise) and she had not been weaned yet. This could answer for her lack of dentition.

John had been introduced to the food of the house which included fruits, vegetables and cereals but his preferences of chocolate and ice-cream were given value and it made things easier for the mother, what with the baby to look after. Mr. Edwin had alcoholism which caused his malnourishment. Mrs. Edwin who was breastfeeding did not bother to have sufficient milk or extra vegetables or fruits to support her health. Mrs. Clara had to take her own food as the others were too busy. Due to her memory loss and poor executive functions, she was irregular in food intake, hardly bathed and was generally looking fatigued and dirty.

Her skin was terribly wrinkled due to dehydration and inadequate nutrition. They could all be described as ready for enhanced nutritional metabolic pattern (Weber, 2005). Mrs. Clara had a risk for impaired skin integrity due to her age and her dehydrated state (Weber, 2005). Her skin was turning red at pressure points even though she was still ambulant. Impaired nutrition, delayed weaning and impaired skin integrity were the diagnoses for this family where nutrition was concerned (Weber, 2005). c) Sleep/Rest Mrs.

Clara indicated a readiness for enhanced sleep pattern (Weber, 2005). She had a disturbed sleep pattern probably due to her changed neurological functions. Mrs. Edwin had sleep deprivation because she was the only one looking after the baby and her mother-in-law kept calling her for some reason or the other as her sleep was disturbed (Weber, 2005). Her husband did not participate in any of these duties. Mrs. Edwin at times used to give her mother-in-law sleeping pills to enable her to sleep so that Mrs.

Edwin herself could get some sleep. Mr. Edwin’