Nu 304 - Comprehensive Health Assessment

Comprehensive Health Assessment

Lori Boyd

Kaplan University

NU304: Health/Wellness Assessment and Strategies

Cassandra Wood

October 17, 2011

Comprehensive Health Assessment

The family that this author has been evaluating is the Lin family. Mei Lin is the 39 year old mother of three. Presently, she is working greater than 40 hours weekly to provide a home for her family. Mei is suffering from fatigue, depression, and has elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. She is also having trouble sleeping. Mei has a 14 year old daughter, Ai-Shi, who is a very physically active as a gymnast and has been experiencing weight loss and thinning hair. Ai-Shi is very responsible and is charge of preparing many meals for her family. Mei also has 13 year old twin boys Hao and Lan that were born prematurely at 32 weeks gestation. Hao appears to not have any issues, and is very involved socially in school. He associates with what most would say are the popular crowd. Lan suffered hearing loss shortly after birth from having gentamycin administered to him. He has hearing aids and is in a different social group from his brother, and associates with the students taking honors classes. Mei and her children have recently learned that the father will not be returning to the United States to live with them as a family. Mei works as a pharmacist and is now solely responsible for the care of her three children. Culturally this family will not want to complain, but physical signs of deterioration are becoming more apparent. This family needs to be approached in a way that will not make them uncomfortable so that they can begin the healing process.

It will be necessary while constructing a comprehensive health assessment for the Lin family to consider a combination factors. Developmental and cultural issues will play a role in the accurate assessment and treatment plan for the Lin family. Most teens need to be approached in a manner in which they are allowed to speak freely and be a part of the decision making process for their individual treatment plan. Because decision making skills are being developed during these years, it is possible that these children could become involved in risk taking behaviors, in order to gain the approval of their peers. This is a time when supervision is necessary so her children can remain safe and healthy. Mei is at a stage developmentally where she is striving for success in the business world, while maintaining harmony and balance in her personal life with her family. She is feeling shame because her husband left her, and is suppressing those feelings. If this cycle continues, her medical problems will have the potential to grow into more complex issues. There are many cultural factors that have the potential to become barriers to treatment if not approached properly. The relationship between the caregiver and Mei will be based on interactions and how comfortable she feels confiding intimate information to that person. Time and space are important for the treatment plan developed, to ensure that appropriate care can be provided. Cultural and developmental stages of the family need to be reviewed and assessed so that age appropriate strategies can be implemented. Mei is working long hours in a stressful environment only to return home to three children that have their own individual personalities with health issues that need to be addressed. It will be imperative to consider time management, and schedule accordingly. This way the family can make a commitment and follow through with the treatment plan developed.

According to Erikson, as cited by Harder, 2009, Mei Lin is considered to be in Middle adulthood. The task of this stage of development is to transmit culture through the family and work to establish a stable environment. Mei is working to create this environment of stability, while trying to maintain her own, knowing her husband will not return home. She is exhausted, feeling tired and depressed, and this is starting to have a negative effect on her physical wellbeing. If she does not address these issues she will not be physically capable of caring for her family. Her three children are all in the same developmental stage according to Erikson, this stage, as cited by Harder, 2009 is commonly known as adolescence. During this stage they are searching for their own identity, while they are seeking social acceptance and growth. They are trying to become independent individuals, with their own thoughts and opinions about life.

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