Family Assessment – Applying the Calgary Family Assessment Model
Nicole Tasiemski
University of Detroit Mercy Family Assessment – Applying the Calgary Family Assessment Model
Family is such a simple word which has multiple meanings. Family is a unit of parents and their children, when two or more people share goals and values with long term commitments, or when two or more people live in the same home. These are all definitions of family. However in today’s society, family is whatever one says it is, from blood relatives, to friends, to pets, or a combination of these. Keeping the family and family members healthy is a big responsibility for all who are involved. Family health is the changing …show more content…
This family would be considered a healthy family that carries out many healthy family traits. They are able to communicate, listen, teach one another, and have a sense of trust and respect that supports each member of the family. The family has the strength and the ability to provide for physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of family members. They also have the ability to communicate certain thoughts and feeling appropriately, provide support for one another, and provide security and encouragement. The family also has the ability to maintain and create responsible community relationships, use a crisis as means of growth, and have loyalty and interfamily cooperation and teamwork (Wright & Leahey, 2013). The family is challenged with some weaknesses that impact the family as whole and the relationships and change in one family member affects all family members (Wright & Leahey, 2013, p. 29). The main conflicts that need focusing on within this family is the distance between Brother J and Lady C and Sister L on the maternal side and the possible substance dependence on the paternal side are the weaknesses that are affecting the …show more content…
It is important to remember that the CFAM has the opportunity to cover all areas of the family since there are many families that are dealing with numerous health and mental conditions. It is a shame that Family Nurse Practitioners do not focus nearly enough on family even when it should be one of the focuses. I hope that as health insurance progresses, family assessments can become a part of reimbursement so providers can focus on family difficulties and provide problem solving interventions. I feel family nurses must work in partnership with families as they grow and develop and need to personalize interventions that are needed for each individual family. When assessing a family, it is important for nurses to emphasize that a change in one family member affects all family members and it is the nurses’ responsibility to facilitate change in each of the families (Wright & Leahey,