Case Study - Family Health Assessment

Running head: FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT 1
Family Health Assessment
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT 2
Family Structure
The structure of the family can be categorized under the single-parent family and
consists of the 38 years old Mr. A, his 7-year-old daughter and his 64-year-old mother. Mr. A
is the sole working person in the family and takes care of his mother and his daughter. His
daughter is currently attending primary school and the old mother, a strong catholic devotee,
takes care of the home when Mr. A goes to the office. Three of them are very close to each
other and eat together and go to sleep at the same time.
Health Behavior
The small family eats food together and ensure a nutritious meal every day. The child
is very active and takes part in sports events in school. The family sleeps at the same time at
10.30 p.m. every day and gets on an average, 8 hours of sleep and is free of any disease
currently. No one in the family has any issues with the vision or ears and does not live with
any sensory deficit. The bowel movements currently in the family are regular.
Health Pattern
None of the family members smokes or indulges in any kind of drug abuse. However,
Mr. A. sometimes drinks a couple of times a week past the bedtime of his daughter, and the
daughter is unaware of this habit. The family lives a routine, healthy lifestyle and none of
them are currently suffering from any physical health condition. The family performs the
exercise for half an hour every morning and every member is physically fit. The family is
extremely cautious about physical health and has high maintenance of it.
However, there are few issues concerned with the emotional health of the family. All
of the family members went through critical emotional downfall after the death of Mrs. B, the
wife of Mr. A., four years ago. Mr. A. started drinking after the death of his wife from cancer
and his daughter often cries alone while missing her mother. The mother of Mr. A is aware of
both of the member’s condition and condoles them whenever in grief. However, Mr. A. feels

FAMILY HEALTH ASSESSMENT 3
that all three of the family members never express their feelings towards the loss of his wife
with each other in the open, but should do it. Such actions help to maintain healthy
interactions between the family members with an increase in common understanding among
them (Coe, Davies & Sturge-Apple, 2018).
Family Systems Theory
According to Bowen’s Family Systems theory, the family is considered to be an
emotional unit, and there is a critical need for complex interactions in practice to maintain the
emotional connection between the family members (Brooks, 2019). According to the theory,
only when family members solicit each other’s support, approval and attention, they can react
properly to their upsets, expectations and needs. For the particular family of Mr. A., the
family systems theory would suggest an increase in emotional interdependence among the
family members by expressing their sadness while they miss the member of their family. This
step can effectively improve the cooperation and improve cohesiveness among the three of
them (Keller, 2019).
Conclusion
Family system theory aims at bringing necessary changes in the family to increase
emotional connectivity and cohesiveness among the family members.