The Social Determinants of Health That Affect the Family Health Status
Some common social determinants of health that affect the health status of the Lara-Watts family include health services, healthy children and development, personal health practices, and coping skills, and education and literacy (Palmer et al., 2019). These factors impact the family in different capacities, and thus they collectively influence the health status of the entire Lara-Watts family. Health services are crucial to the family because they enable the different members of the family to understand their health conditions and thus be able to promote their quality of life. For instance, health services are significantly prevalent in this family since some family members require regular medical appointments. Mike has undergone open heart surgery, survived two instances of prostate cancer, and is a recovering addict. As such, through the scheduled medical screening services, the doctors can monitor Mike while assessing his progress toward full medical recovery.
Personal health practice is another social factor that influences the health status of this family. Different members of the Lara-Watts family are involved in activities that contribute to improving their health. These services are vital since they help to maintain better mental health and promote health (Palmer et al., 2019). For instance, Mike has to attend AA meetings even though he has been clean for six years. These meetings allow him to relieve the pressures of succumbing to the urges while also acting as a way of recognizing and commending his efforts, thus encouraging him to keep fighting. Similarly, Marty engages in counseling veterans, allowing him to interact with others who understand his experiences. Therefore, through sharing experiences, he can maintain his mental health by venting off excess pressures. Mike and Marty have organized date nights; these dates are essential since they allow for better communication about issues affecting the family and marriage. This is important because it allows them to identify their problems, strengthening the family.
Age-Appropriate Screenings for Each Family Member
The Lara-Watts family comprises six members with vast age differences; age-appropriate screening for each family member is in order. Mike is 51 years old and thus is open to the risk of suffering significant diseases unchecked. Some of the most appropriate screenings for Mike include a prostate exam and eye screening. These are the most appropriate tests for Mike because he has a history of prostate cancer which has reappeared after treatment; as such, it will be safer to conduct regular screenings to ensure that cancer does not crouch back unnoticed (Querns, 2020). He wears glasses that indicate a problem with his eyes; therefore, the screening will help to know the causes of the problem and whether it can be cured. Marty is 48 years old; the most appropriate screening comprises testing for depression (Querns, 2020). Marty is a veteran, and thus his experience on the battlefield still rattles him and causes night terrors. Additionally, he has to attend counseling meetings to achieve normalcy. The test for depression will help ensure he is not a danger to himself or the people around him.
Stephanie is the mother of Chase and Clayton, and she is twenty-nine years old. The most age-appropriate screenings for her include a cervical exam and a breast exam (Live Healthy, n.d.). At her age, she is at risk of developing breast and cervical cancer; regular screening will be essential in ensuring that these cancers do not develop to life-threatening stages undetected. Andre is 14 years old; therefore, some age-appropriate screenings include STD/STI screenings. Being a teenager and at the peak of adolescence, he is bound to begin indulging in either protected or unprotected sexual intercourse. As such, the test will ensure they are not infected. Chase and Clayton are 9 and 7 years old, respectively. The most appropriate screening for both is dental screening and counseling testing for Clayton (Fosse & Edelstein, 2022). Children are bound to eat sugary things and fail to maintain proper dental hygiene as such, and the screening will help ensure thy teeth are kept well and free from decay and infections. On the other hand, Clayton can be given counseling testing, which will help manage the effects of ADHD and, thus, his bowel movements.
A Health Model to Assist in Creating a Plan of Action
Gordon’s health model is the most suitable model that will assist in making an action plan. The model was developed in 1982 by a professor and nursing philosopher, Marjory Gordon. The model is also known as the functional health pattern model because it comprises eleven categories. It was developed to help nurses collect data from their patients for assessment of functioning and the capacity of their physical and mental activities (Barnes et al., 2020). The eleven patterns are essential in facilitating comprehensive data collection. They include the health management outline, metabolic, elimination, exercise, perceptual, rest, self-concept, relationship, reproductive, stress tolerance, and belief outlines (Hooper, 2018). This model encompasses all aspects of a patient’s life, hence its efficiency in data collection and assessment.
This model is the most appropriate model for this family. Some of the advantages of this model include the diverse patterns that allow nurses to collect comprehensive data on the functioning and physical and mental capacities of the respective patients. The model will enable the physicians and nurses attending to the family to have a clear idea and medical history of the patients in case of a first encounter hence accuracy in the diagnosis. Based on the interview, this design model covers a wide range of issues that this family is dealing with, for instance, the issue of exercise; Mike is barely able to exercise as much as he would like; therefore, the physicians will provide alternative ways of exercising. Additionally, Mike and Marty have joined AA and veteran counseling, respectively.
The Steps for a Family-Centered Health Promotion
Based on the Gordon model, there are five steps involved in family health promotion. These steps include organizing contact with specialists; the family members seek help from a trained and certified professional. The second step involves committing one’s spouse to professional help. In this case, Mike would get an appointment with therapists or a supervised AA group. Through this group, the people share their problems and thus encourage each other. The third step involves supporting a spouse or a partner to seek professional help in dealing with their problems. As such, Marty would go to the veterans’ meeting, where they share and talk about their current issues. The fourth step involved establishing a comfortable environment for the children and thus motivating them to learn more information. The final step involves an assessment of the family to evaluate the impact of the model on the family. The communication strategies used during family-centered health promotion include using a research-based approach, understanding the concepts and language, health literacy, and internet access.
References
Barnes, M. D., Hanson, C. L., Novilla, L. B., Magnusson, B. M., Crandall, A. C., & Bradford, G. (2020). Family-centered health promotion: Perspectives for engaging families and achieving better health outcomes. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, p. 57.
Fosse, C., & Edelstein, B. L. (2022). State Medicaid Authorities’ Policy Communications With Providers on Individualized Pediatric Dental Care. Public Health Reports, 137(3), 506-515.
Hooper, J. I. (2018). The family receiving home care: Functional health pattern assessment pane. Home Care Provider, 1(5), 238–243.
Live Healthy at Any Age. (n.d.). Web.
Palmer, R. C., Ismond, D., Rodriquez, E. J., & Kaufman, J. S. (2019). Social determinants of health: future directions for health disparities research. American Journal of Public Health, 109(S1), S70-S71.
Querns, D. (2020). 10 Essential Health Screenings for Men. Brigham Health Hub. Web.