Family Coping Index

Family Coping Index

Introduction:
Family coping index comes under non-physical assessment of the family nursing process. This is the scale, which helps the individual to assess the need of nursing care to the particular family.
Meaning:
It is the tool used to assess the family’s coping index coping means dealing with problems associated with health care and index means measurement of something. Thus the family coping index means the measurement of the family capacity to deal with the problems associated with the health care.
When the family is unable to cope with the aspects of the health care they may be said to have a “coping deficit”.
NOTE: The following points should be kept in mind when we use the family coping index: -
v It is the coping capacity being rated not the problems.
v It is the family but not the individual being rated.
Directions for scaling:
The coping index consists of two parts
v A point on the scale
v Result statement
The scale helps one to place the family in relation to their ability to cope with the nine areas of Family Nursing at the time of observation. Each area has its own three grades among three grades any one grade is to be estimated by the observation of the particular factors in particular area. By placing the marker on that grade we will get the score at the center of the marker. At the end the sum of all the scores is compared with the score range by this statement, which tells us the need of nursing care is obtained.
The result statement limited to three points:
v Mildly need of nursing care.
v Moderately need of nursing care.
v Fully need of nursing care.
How to award grade?
1.Physical Independence:
This category is concerned with ability to move about, to get in and out of bed, activities of daily living etc., Note that it is the family competence that is measured even though an individual is dependent if the family is able to compensate for this. The family may be independent however, the quality as well as quantity of ability is important.
v Family failing entirely to provide personal care to its members: - No Independence.
v Family providing partially the needs of its members or proving care for some members but not for others: - Incomplete Independence.
v All family members receiving necessary care to maintain health and personal hygiene: - Complete Independence
2. Therapeutic Competence:
This category includes management of prescribed drugs diet, exercises, procedures, using appliances etc.
v Family either not carrying out procedures prescribed or doing it unsafe: - No competence.
v Family carrying out some but not all of the treatments: - Moderately Competence.
v Family able to demonstrate that they can carryout the prescribed procedures safely and efficiently: - Complete Competence.
3. Knowledge of Health Conditions:
This category is concerned with the particular health condition, that is the occation for care, for ex:- knowledge of the disease, understanding the communicability of disease and modes of transmission etc,.
v Totally uninformed about the condition or misinformed: -unsatisfactory knowledge.
v Has some knowledge of the disease or condition but has not grasped the underlying principles: - Satisfactory Knowledge.
v Knows the salient facts about the disease well enough to take necessary action at proper time: - Good Knowledge.
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 carrying out accepted preventive measures such as immunization etc.,
v Family diet grossly inadequate or unbalanced, necessary immunizations not secured for children, house dirty, food handled in an unsanitary way: - No Application.
v Failing to apply some general principle of hygiene for instance secure initial immunizations but not boosters or some but not all available immunization: - Moderate Application.
v Household runs smoothly, family meals well selected, habits to sleep and rest adequate to needs: -Complete Application.
5. Health Attitude:
This category is concerned with the way the family feels about health care in general including preventive measures and services.
v Family resents and resists all health care, has no confidence in doctors uses patent medicines: - Unsatisfactory Attitude
v Accepts health care to some degree, but with reservations. Ex: - Accept need for medical care for illness but not preventive measures: - Satisfactory Attitude.
v Understands and recognizes need for medical care in illness and for usual preventive services: - Good Attitude.
6. Emotional Competence:
This category has to do with the maturity and integrity with which the members of family are able to meet the usual stresses and problems of life.
v Family does not face realities, assume moribund patient will get well: - No Competence.
v Family members usually do fairly well but one or more members evidences lack of security or maturity: -Moderate Competence.
v All members of the family able to maintain a reasonable degree of emotional calm, face upto illness realistically and hopefully: -Complete Competence.
7. Family living:
This category is concerned largely with the interpersonal or group aspects of family life how all the members of the family get along with one another the ways in which they support one another.
v Family consists of a group of individuals indifferent or hostile to one another or strongly dominated and controlled by a single-family member, no control of children: - Unsatisfactory
v Family gets along but has habits or customs that interfere with their effectiveness or coherence as a family: -Satisfactory.
v Family cohesive does things together each members acts for the good of the family as whole children respect parents and vice versa: - Good
8. Physical Environment:
This category is concerned with the home and community or work environment as it affects family health. The conditions of housing, presence of accident hazards, facilities for cooking or social hazards such as bare street janges Availability and conditions of schools transportation etc.,
v House in poor condition, unsafe, unscreened, poorly ventilated neighborhood deteriorated, no playing space except streets: - Unsatisfactory environment.
v House need some repair or painting but fundamentally sounds: - Satisfactory environment.
v House in good repair, provides for privacy for members and is free of accident and best hazards: - Good environment.
9. Use of Community facilities:
This category has to do with the degree to which the family knows about and the wisdom with which they use available community recourses for health, education and welfare. This would include the way, in which they use services of private physicians, clinics, emergency, rooms, hospitals, schools, churches etc.,
v Family has obvious and serious social needs, but has not sought or found any help for them: - No usage
v Family knows about or uses some but not all of the available community resources that they need: - moderate usage
v Family using the facilities they need appropriately and promptly know when and whom to call for help: - complete usage
Bibliography

1. A community health nursing manual, TNAI : Page No. 71- 82.
2. Community health nursing, Dr. Kosturi Sundar Rao : Page No. 346- 347.
3. Solved question bank for II year B.Sc(N)

By :
Manjunath. S
III B.Sc Nursing,
SINSRC,
TUMKUR.
Family Coping Index Scale

1. Physical independence:
Complete Independence à A A B C
Incomplete Independence à B 1 2 3
No Independence à C

2. Therapeutic competence:
Complete competence à A A B C
Moderate competence à B 1 2 3
No competence à C

3. Health knowledge:
Good à A A B C
Satisfactory à B 1 2 3
Unsatisfactory à C

4. Application of Principles of General health:
Complete application à A A B C
Moderate application à B 1 2 3
No application à C

5. Health attitude:
Good attitude à A A B C
Satisfactory attitude à B 1 2 3
Unsatisfactory attitude à C

6. Emotional competence:
Completely competence à A A B C
Moderately competence à B 1 2 3
No competence à C

7. Family living :
Good à A A B C
Satisfactory à B 1 2 3
Unsatisfactory à C

8. Physical environment:
Good à A A B C
Satisfactory à B 1 2 3
Unsatisfactory à C

9. Use of community facilities:
Complete usage à A A B C
Moderate usage à B 1 2 3
No Usage à C
Max scores / Total: 8 16 24
Grade range:
A = 8 –12 àMildly need of Nursing care
B = 13 –18 àModerately need of Nursing care
C = 19 – 24 àFully Need of Nursing care
By: Manjunath. S