Perform the Family Apgar Assessment on your primary contact person from your family. You should read it to the ct. and record her/his answers on the form.
In addition, prepare a minimum of two (2) questions to go along with each of the five Apgar questions. These should generate discussion and elicit more information., so try to develop open-ended questions.
Example: “Tell me how your family has supported you as you took on a new activity?”
Suggestion: Use questions from the Health History! “How do you feel about the amount of time you spend alone?”
Write Up:
1. List the questions you prepared to expand on the Apgar questions.
2. Describe the setting, who you interviewed.
3. Describe the interview. How did the ct. answer each of the five Apgar questions? How did they respond to your other questions?
4. Score the Apgar and discuss the meaning of the results.
5. Based on your assessment, what are the strengths and weaknesses of the family?
6. Self evaluation: What did you do well? What could you improve on? How did you feel?
The
family Apgar may be used to determine the level of
functionalism in the family unit. This
data will assist the nurse in identifying appropriate interventions.
Introduction: To be read to the family.
“The following questions have been designed to help us better understand you and your family. You should feel free to ask questions about any item in the questionnaire. Answer each question as “almost always”, “sometimes”, or “hardly ever”. Add any additional comments you want. Family is defined as the individual(s) with whom you usually live.
For each question, check
only one box.
Almost Some
of Hardly
always the time
ever
1.
I am satisfied that I can turn to my family for ¨ ¨ ¨ help when something is troubling me.
Comments:
______________________________________________________________
2.
I am satisfied that my family talks things over
with me and shares problems with me.
¨ ¨ ¨
Comments:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3.
I am satisfied that my family accepts and
supports my wishes to take on new activities
or
directions. ¨ ¨ ¨
Comments:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4.
I am satisfied that my family expresses
affection and responds to my emotions,
such as anger, sorrow and love. ¨ ¨ ¨
Comments:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5.
I am satisfied with the way my family and
I
share time together. ¨ ¨ ¨
Comments:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scoring: The patient checks one of three choices which are scored as follows: “Almost always” (2 points), “Some of the time” (1 point), or “Hardly ever) (0 points). The scores for each of the five questions are then totaled. A score of 7-10 suggests a highly functional family. A score of 4 to 6 suggests a moderately dysfunctional family. A score of 0 to 3 suggests a severely dysfunctional family.
“According
to which member of the family is being interviewed the nurse my substitute for
the word “family” either spouse, significant other, parents or children.
Modified from Smilkstein G: The family APGAR: A proposal for family function
test and its use by physicians, J . Family Practice 6(6), 1978.
Reprinted by
permission of Appleton and Lange, Inc.
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