VI.

FAMILY COPING INDEX

Initial Final
Category 1 3 5 1 3 5 Justification

1. PHYSICAL INDEPENDENCE ❸ Initial Visit:

This category is concerned with the
ability to move about, to get out of bed, During the initial visit, the student nurse
to take care of daily grooming, walking, observed the lack of proper hygiene as
etc. Note that it is the family evidenced by dirty hands, untrimmed
competence that is measured even fingernails with accumulation of dirt, not
though an individual is independent, if wearing of slippers inside their home,
the family is able to compensate for this. and so on. They have a way to manage it
The family is important, hence, if the which is to wash hands or just wipe with
focus of care is poor, for instance, if the a towel. This is considered as an
mother is giving care to a handicapped inconsistent coping.
child that she shared with other
members of the family, the ❺ Final Visit:
independence might be considered
incomplete. The causes of The family was able to adapt the health
independence may vary however. Lack teachings of the student nurse by
of independence in the family may be practicing the hand washing technique
due to actual physical incapacity, the frequently. The children was also taught
inability of “know-how”, the willingness how to trim their own nails with the
or fear of doing necessary tasks. guidance of their grandmother.

2. THERAPEUTIC COMPETENCE ❸ Initial Visit:

This category includes all the procedures
or treatment prescribed for the illness, The student nurse gave the family a score
such as giving medications and using of 3 because the family is knowledgeable
appliances, dressings, exercises, and about the procedures when someone is
relaxation, and special diets. sick being the reason why they just visit
the health center when it is badly needed
because they can handle it in their home.
The family participates in exercises to
maintain health condition, however,
practices unhealthy habits such as
smoking.

❸ Final Visit:

The same therapeutic competence was

observed by the student nurse after the
final visit. When it comes to smoking
habit, it just became less and the family
did not completely stopped it.
3. KNOWLEDGE ON HEALTH ❶
CONDITION
This category is concerned with the
particular health condition that is the
occasion for care, knowledge of the
disease or disability, understanding of
communicability of diseases and modes
of transmission, understanding of
general patterns of development of a
newborn baby and the basic needs of
infants for physical care and tender
loving care.
4. APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES OF
GENERAL HYGIENE
This is concerned with family action in
relation to maintaining family nutrition,
securing adequate rest and relaxation
for family members, and carrying out
accepted preventive measures such as
immunizations, medical appraisal and
safe homemaking habits in relation to
storing and preparing foods.
5. HEALTH ATTITUDES
This category is concerned with the way
the family feels about health care in
general, including preventive services,
care of illness and public health
measures.
Initial Visit:
The family have limited awareness on the
health condition of its members. They do
know one was sick but do not understand
what causes it and the things that affects
the family to have further complications.
❸ Final Visit:
The family gained their knowledge about
the health condition of the members and
adopted the health teachings of the
student nurse. Although, some habits are
still present that shows that their coping
is inadequate in portraying importance to
a disease.
❸ Initial Visit:
The family, despite having limited hours
of rest, lack of resources for adequate
nutrition, they still provide themselves
and makes effort to achieve a good
hygiene according to their understanding.
❺ Final Visit:
The family coped with the use of the
student nurse’s health teaching about the
Use of alternative foods to fulfill the 6
nutrients. They also implemented the
hand washing technique frequently as a
preventive measure and as a
maintenance of health.
❶ Initial Visit:
The family avail for a health care service
when only it is an emergency or they
badly need it. They expressed that they
fear the possible result from the
consultation. They also have limited time
because of work and lack of resources.
❺ Final Visit:
The family realizes the benefits of
attaining medical services may it be from

6. EMOTIONAL COMPETENCE
This category has to do with the
maturity and integrity with which the
members of the family are able to meet
the usual stresses and problems of life,
and to plan for happy and fruitful living.
This involves the degree to which
individuals accept the necessary
disciplines imposed by one’s family and
culture; the development and
maintenance of individual responsibility
and decision; and willingness to meet
reasonable obligations, to accept
adversity with fortitude, and to consider
the needs of others as well as one’s
own.
7. FAMILY LIVING
This category is concerned largely with
the interpersonal of group aspects of
family life, how well the members of the
family get along with one another, the
ways in which they make decisions
affecting the family as a whole, the
degree to which they support one
another and do things as a family, the
degree of respect and affection the
show for one another, the ways in which
they manage the family budget, the kind
of discipline that prevails.
8. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
This category is concerned with the
home and community or work
environment as it affects family health.
This includes the housing conditions,
presence of accident hazards, screening,
plumbing, facilities of cooking and for
privacy; level of community
(deteriorated or modern, presence of
social hazards such as bars, street gangs,
delinquency, pest such as rats, etc.),
community health service or hospitals.
They seek medical advises and services
as recommended.
❸ Initial Visit:
The family practices their emotional
support with each other especially at
tough times such as hospitalization of a
member. They are there to support each
other especially towards the three
children. However, when it comes to
financial situations, they are limited to
support the need of the family.
❸ Final Visit:
The family’s coping remains the same
due to their economic status since most
of their challenges in life revolves in the
need of monetary support.
❸ Initial Visit:
The family at times do have arguments
and different opinions from each other.
However, most of the time, they
communicate with each other to solve
problems and make decisions together.
They are helping each other especially
with how they distribute their income to
supply the needs of the family.
❸ Final Visit:
The family living remains the same as
they still practice the said coping
behaviors above.
❶ Initial Visit:
The family is suffering from the
environmental impacts of their house.
Their coping is affected since members of
the family have been affected. Their
environment includes poor ventilation,
lighting, presence of accident hazards,
cluttered living space, and presence of
pests and others. This is a threat to their
health.
availability and conditions of schools
and transportation.
9. USE OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES
This category has to do with the degree
to which family members know about
and the wisdom with which they use
available community resources for
health, education, and welfare. The
coping ability does not indicate the level
of the need for services, but rather the
degree to which they can cope when
they must seek such aid.
❸ Final Visit:
The family was able to perform and cope
with some of the student nurse’s
observation stated above. They adopted
the health teachings by cleaning and
clearing their house to lessen or
eliminate the possible breeding areas of
the pests inside and outside their house.
However, some environmental problems
were not given action due to lack of
resources.
❸ Initial Visit:
The family seeks guidance and service of
the community facilities only when they
needed it desperately. They rarely
participate with community activities
and still lacks the knowledge of what they
can avail from the community facilities.
❺ Final Visit:
The family now realizes the benefits of
availing the service of the community
facilities as needed. They are also
expressing the readiness for some of the
health care facility programs such as
family planning.