BASIC FAMILY ASSESSMENT IN HOME CARE

Course overview

Family assessment is the beginning of the nursing process. It is the systematic and careful analysis of the family network in the home environment. Its purpose is to collect information that will aid in developing an effective care plan and providing the support necessary to maintain the highest level of health and quality of life possible for the family and any member who is not in good health. Early discharge from acute care is now a reality of home health admission and assessment requires home care nurses to be highly skilled to meet acute care needs (Thibault, 1997). Family assessment can be viewed as a systematic evaluative process that leads to decisions about a given person's current and potential level in a variety of settings.