The Friedman Family Assessment Model is used to capture relevant family information that affects health. The model is made up of broad six categories, each category with a wide range of interview topics related to the family health. The model helps healthcare providers to get full information about their patients’ history to help them make informed decisions.
The Miller family was chosen for the interview process; the interview was guided by the Friedman Family Assessment Model. The interview was conducted in the afternoon on 9th, June 2017. The Miller family is made up of the father, mother, and two sons. After the interview, various healthcare plans were explored to identify the most suitable plan for the family.
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Identifying Data
Family Name: Miller family
Address and Phone Number: Fells Point, MD (446-554-1400)
Family Composition: father, mother, two sons (Genogram at Appendix 1)
Type of Family: Nuclear
Ethnic background: African American
Religion: Christian
Social Class: Middle Class
Developmental Stage and History of Family
The Miller family is a nuclear family, made up of the mother, father, and two sons. The father is 48 years, while the mother is in the late 30s. The first born son is a first-year college student, while the last born is in sixth grade. The patriarch of the family is a professor at a local college, while the mother is a housewife. The family is a middle-income family, and the single income from the father caters for everything. The mother is physically active; she goes for a run every day, but the husband is struggling with weight issues.
The family relocated to Maryland five years ago from Mississippi after the father accepted a new job. Both extended families are in Mississippi, and being away from the extended family has been stressful though they communicate and visit over the holidays. De Mol et al. (2010) notes that family members influence each other, family dynamics and interactions influence thoughts and behaviors.
Environmental Data
According to Gorman and Asaithambi (2008), factors within one’s environment affect one’s health. The family’s neighborhood and home environment affect the family’s health. A clean environment is necessary for bringing up healthy children.
The Miller’s live in a spacious, clean home in a middle-income neighborhood. The mother prides herself as a neat freak and a health enthusiast. She prepares healthy meals for her family and ensures that the house is clean all the time.
The Miller’s moved to the neighborhood five years ago, and they have established good relations with the neighbors. Mrs. Miller usually hosts the neighborhood women on Friday for book club and goes running every day with the women. The children have made friends in the neighborhood too. The community is a close-knit social group; the family is confident that their neighbors will come to their rescue in case of anything. The neighborhood is a typical middle-income neighborhood, with parks, gyms, and all the necessary social amenities.
Aside from that, the Miller’s attend an African American church regularly. The church helped them adjust to the new life in Maryland away from their extended family when they relocated five years ago.
Family Structure
Family dynamics have implication on the family health, particularly on the health of the children. Slade et al. (2017) posit that children living with both parents do better physically and emotionally because they get all the support they need. However, the traditional family structure is no longer the norm in today’s society, given the high rates of divorce and the rise of alternative family structures like same-sex families. The family structure also determines power structure, roles, family values, and communication.
I. Communication
Communication brings the family together, open communication strengthens relationship between family members. In the Miller family, the mother communicates well with everyone in the family. The mother talks with her first-born son regularly because he is away from home for studies. Both sons are very close to the mother because she was always there for them, but she also encourages her husband to engage with the children.
The mother uses family dinner, events, and holidays as opportunities to encourage communication. Though there are challenges in maintaining communication, the mother is confident that her children will come to her in case of anything.
II . Power and Role Structure
The power structure also determines the family dynamics. In most cases, parents have power over the children; they make major decisions that affect their entire family (Slade et al., 2017). When one parent has power over the other, the family dynamic will be affected negatively. Mr. and Mrs. Miller complement each other; they both seem to have equal power. The first born son has some power too, he is grown and the family acknowledges that he is capable of making his own decisions now.
The role structure in the Miller family is gender related. Mr. Miller is the breadwinner, while Mrs. Miller does all the domestic chores. The young son helps out when he is not in school, while Mr. Miller also attends to certain domestic chores such as fixing broken appliances and mowing the lawn. Everyone in the family has their distinctive role, though the mother does most of the work at home.
III. Family Values
The Miller family is a close-knit family; the family is united by love, happiness, respect, and care. Before relocating to Maryland, the family was surrounded by the extended family in Mississippi. Mrs. Miller recalls the Sunday extended family lunch at her parent’s house, and how the extended family and her religion have shaped their family values. The eldest son has grown, and since he lives away from home, there is a possibility that he has his own values that guide him. The family does not have big conflicts regarding family values, but they still have small problems due to different personalities.
Family Function
I. Affective Function
The Miller family is a close knit family, the mother is a loving woman and she is very affectionate with her sons. While she believes in raising strong men, she does not shy away from getting affectionate with her children. The parents also enjoy a close bond, and this has kept them together for 18 years. The sons have a good bond despite the age difference, and the elder son makes time for his small brother when he is around.
II. Socialization Function
Family also plays an important socialization role. The socialization function deals with child upbringing, and influences that affect children as they develop (McManus et al., 2012). The last born son is 11 years old, and the greatest influence in his life is the mother. The mother is there all the time and she has raised, the child according to her values, Christian values, and the way she was raised too. The mother provides a good environment for the child to grow, and she watches out for him to make sure that he is not involved in the wrong activities. Being a middle income family, the children have access to most of the things they require, but the parents are careful not to spoil them. The father also plays an important role; he does father-son activities with his children.
III. Healthcare Function
The health function is another significant family role. The parents are responsible for the health of the young children, but as the children grow older, they become accountable for their health and their parent’s health (Slade et al., 2017). Home environment, relationships, stress, and lack of physical activities are some of the factors that adversely affect health when they are not checked. Parents must be careful with the children’s sleeping habits, diet, and physical activity (McManus et al., 2012).
Mr. Miller is the only family member who is not in good shape; he is overweight, and he occasionally smokes. Mr. Miller cholesterol is extremely, and the doctors have warned him to adjust his lifestyle given his age. Mrs. Miller is in good health, and she regularly takes her children to see the primary care physician for regular checkups. The family gets regular dental and eye exam too. Mrs. Miller believes in preventative care; she is a proponent of healthy eating, a habit that her sons have picked. Mr. Miller, on the other hand, cannot stop eating greasy food and does not like to exercise. There is a history of heart disease in Mr. Miller’s family, and Mrs. Miller is worried about her husband.
Family Stress, Coping, and Adaptation
Stress is detrimental to one’s health. Family stress refers to stressors that affect the entire family, and it must be handled appropriately (Repetti et al., 2009). Mr. Miller’s family is a tight nuclear family, though there are stressors that affect the entire family and individual family members. Mr. Miller is stressed by his job and the need to provide for his family, while Mrs. Miller is always worried about the wellbeing of the family. Mrs. Miller also worries about her husband’s health, while the children are dealing with school-related stressors.
Coping Strategies
The familial bond is the biggest coping strategy. Each family member knows that they can rely on each other and share their problems. The children share their problems regularly with their mother, and occasionally with their father. The parents talk about their stressors and try to find ways to solve their problems. The family also relies on their friends and extended family to help them cope with stress.
Family Adaptation
The Miller family is adapting well; the family is not in any crisis. Despite the problems they face, they are handling the problems well before they get out of control. Family members communicate well and talk about the issues they are facing. The children are well adjusted, and they have not resolved to negative behaviors to escape stressing situations.
Plan of Care
Prolonged stress has adverse effects on health; the stress can be physical or emotional. When family stress is not dealt with efficiently, family members will resort to maladaptive behaviors to cope with stress, and this worsens their health.
Family stressors in the Miller family are manageable. Mr. Miller is worried about the financial well-being of the family, and he has neglected his health. On the other hand, Mrs. Miller is concerned about her husband’s health and the wellbeing of the family.
Mrs. Miller should work with their primary care physician to get Mr. Miller to change his lifestyle. High cholesterol, smoking, and drinking will not end well for Mr. Miller given his age. Mrs. Miller is a physically active woman, and she can introduce her husband to physical fitness. Mr. Miller is quite busy, but they can exercise a bit early in the morning and over the weekends. Mr. Miller must also change his eating habits. Dietary changes will go a long way in stabilizing his cholesterol level, and it will help him shed the extra weight.
References
De Mol, J., Buysse, A., & Cook, W. L. (2010). A family assessment based on the social relations model. Journal of Family Therapy , 32 (3), 259-279.
Gorman, B. K., & Asaithambi, R. (2008). Biology, social environment, and health: How family history and social conditions affect adult asthma. Social Science Quarterly , 89 (3), 728-750.
McManus, B. M., Mandic, C. G., Carle, A. C., & Robert, S. A. (2012). The Effect of Parent–Child Function on Physical Activity and Television Viewing among Adolescents with and without Special Healthcare Needs. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education , 59 (3), 305-319.
Repetti, R., Wang, S. W., & Saxbe, D. (2009). Bringing it all back home: How outside stressors shape families' everyday lives. Current Directions in Psychological Science , 18 (2), 106-111.
Slade, A. N., Beller, A. H., & Powers, E. T. (2017). Family structure and young adult health outcomes. Review of Economics of the Household , 15 (1), 175-197.
