Family Care Plan

Family Care Plan
Thomas Chamness
University of Phoenix
Nursing 467

Karen Jones
November 20, 2010

Family Care Plan My family consists of a single mother, age 27. Her child is a 3-year-old male. The characteristics of the mother are unique; she had to deal with losing both of her parents at a young age. Her father committed suicide when she was nine and her mother was murdered in the line of duty while working as a state trooper. The mother also has no siblings. At the present time the young boy is facing his own challenges as the mother decided to leave the father of her child and move out of state from New Mexico to Colorado. Together they appear to cope well with their losses and struggles. The family structure is basic; the mother plays that role and is also a mentor to the child. The additional “family” structure for these two is that the mother has a new boyfriend and he is the main reason that she moved to Colorado. The environmental characteristics do not appear to be a factor in the function of the family. The culture of the family seems to have continued well here in CO, both make a bi monthly trip to NM so that the son can visit with the father and so that the mother can visit with a close aunt. Orem’s Universal Self-Care Requisites apply to my family as follows: Air, my family resides in a smoke free environment and the environment does not seem to have a negative effect. Water; both consume appropriate amounts and environmentally, there is not a concern. Food; nutrition seems to be lacking R/T the consumption of fast food and lack of home cooking. Elimination; appears to be within normal limits. Activity and Rest; the child receives more physical activity than the mother R/T playing at the playground. Living in a smaller town home has also “restricted” their activity level. Rest wise, there is plenty. Solitude and Social Interactions; both have decreased social interaction R/T the move and all family is in NM. Solitude does seem to be a concern with my family. When they are in a new state, the family has to rebuild socially and develop new relationships and the solitude of winter is among them. Hazard Prevention; the only hazard appears to be possible wildlife coming close to their home or maybe the bi monthly roundtrip to NM. Promotion of Normality; This will be a road long traveled, the mother has to raise a child as a single mother in an environment where the father is not close, lack of grandparents, aunts and uncles or even just close family friends. My family faces several stressors; the mother is still unemployed and daycare becomes an issue if she gets a job and the mother also has trouble getting a baby sitter while looking for a job. Two times a month both mother and child make a 20-hour road trip. The mother is also facing the challenges of a divorce and a new relationship. The mother states that she copes with stress by spending time with her new boyfriend, “he makes everything better.” The child appears to act out at times for attention. The boy then receives discipline, not quality attention. Here is my following nursing diagnosis for my family in order with a 2010 health promotion; Altered Family Process related to the change in marital status and moving away from family. I have asked if she has looked into support groups held in her area or if she attends services at the church across the street. At risk for Altered Parenting related to being a single mother without the father present. I encouraged her to look online for a single parent website that may be useful. Impaired social interaction related to lack of friends/family or a job to socialize. I used both of the above examples of reaching out and included maybe hosting “Pampered Chef” or “Cookie Lee” parties. I believe that the diagnosis of Altered Family Process is the most important diagnosis and that the mother is not aware of how this can affect her and her son. I think she needs to understand the importance of having a two parent home and a one parent home. The family is center on the mother and the choices she makes are for her benefit in mind first. I want to see the mother make choices that will benefit her and her son rather than her then her son. All too often the mother’s choices are for herself, it is important for the mother to understand that her child will always be there and the boyfriend could leave at anytime. Some interventions that I could share that hopefully wont cross any boundaries are would be the following: Consider moving back home, closer to family and their support. If she decides to stay, then consider going back to NM only once a month and staying a little longer than the weekend. Start having a dedicated night to her son, homemade dinner ate at the table. Slow down with her new boyfriend and maybe have one night a week with him. I want to see her build the relationship with her son and see an improvement in his behavior/attention seeking within three months. I want to see her relationship with her new boyfriend become more meaningful within the same time frame. A decrease in the amount of behaviors with her son, more family time and in improved relationship with her new boyfriend would be a good measurement of improvement. Other possible interventions over a long-term would be for the mother to set goals such as assuming she stays in CO, marriage to her new boyfriend in three to five years if the relationship moves in that direction. Find a home that is in a good school district for her son even though he won’t start for a couple of years. The importance of this will add to the family’s stability and longevity. In conclusion my family is on a long road to success. Both the mother and the son have challenges that can be overcome with appropriate decisions. A new skill that I have achieved is the ability to understand the more complex dynamics of a family assessment. What is on paper is simple; getting the informant to disclose the truth is the challenge. One can meet someone on the street and have a decent idea of what that person may be like but to actually understand that person, time has to be spent with he/she and trust has to be built.

References Healthy People 2010. 2010. http://www.healthypeople.gov/. Accessed, November 20, 2010

Nursing Theories. 2010 http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/self_care_deficit_theory.html.. Accessed, November 19, 2010

References: Healthy People 2010. 2010. http://www.healthypeople.gov/. Accessed, November 20, 2010 Nursing Theories. 2010 http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/self_care_deficit_theory.html.. Accessed, November 19, 2010