Family Can Have a Wide Variety of Essay

family can have a wide variety of different interpretations based on the individuals and the circumstances. For example, some groups consider themselves as a family while not actually related. Furthermore, not all those families who are actually related by blood form any kind of functional or cohesive group. Thus it is not uncommon to find a non-related group that acts more like a family than an actual traditional family would. In terms of identifying a family for the purpose of providing care however, the family can be thought of as the personal support system that any patient has; whether they are related or not.

Identifying and enlisting the assistance of a patient's family can be a critical success factor in treating the patient. In one study, the inadequate family-centered care was associated significantly in the treatment of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) across many demographics (Ngui & Flores, 2006). This approach proves successful because the individual's with special needs benefit from positive changes in the environment and the one's they interact with on a regular basis.Another study found that the was a significant difference between a group with family-plus-diabetes-group support and the group without support in relation to health-deviation self-care; subjects who received support from friends in addition to family support reported higher universal and health-deviation self-care behaviors than those without support (Wang & Fenske, 1996).

The family can also impact health care in many other ways. One example would be when a patient is in critical care and is no longer to make decisions themselves or actively participate in their own self-care. In such circumstances the family, or individual members, will likely be responsible in the event a major decision about the patients care must be made. The family can also provide indirect support by forming a support group that can allow all family members to have an….....