Heritage Assessment
Arielle N. Bakhiet, RN
Grand Canyon University: NRS- 429V-0101
October 11, 2015

Introduction The goal of health care providers is to return patients to the optimal health so that the patient and patient’s family can achieve a positive result. Healthcare is individualized to the patient and is further personalized to meet the needs of families with specific cultural considerations. In the United States, we are a nation of many cultures that are able to co-exist with each other, but that does not mean that the traditions of the past are forgotten. On the contrary, the traditions are what make up the individual’s core. Heritage, by definition, are traditions, achievements, and beliefs that are part of a history of a group or nation (Merriam-Webster, 2015). The heritage assessment tool is used to have a better understanding of people and family members and how to better help them. The heritage assessment tool was used to assess three different people on their culture, traditions, religious affiliations and languages that are used in their family. The cultures that were featured in the interviews are Filipino-American, German American and Native-American. The heritage tool is used to gauge the needs of the family and develop plans for health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration. Filipino- American
The Romero’s- native to the Philippine’s The Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia that is a made up of a conglomerate of seven thousand islands. A former Spanish territory, it has a population of about 100,998,376 people the main religions is Roman Catholic which eighty percent of the population practices. The official languages of the Philippines are Tagalog and English. There are eight different dialects spoken in the Philippines as well (The World Fact book, 2015). The Romero’s moved to the United States twelve years ago. The Romero’s have two children- a 15 year old daughter and a 4 year old son. The Romero’s are practicing Catholics and go to mass weekly and on religious holidays. Tagalog is the language spoken in the home. Mrs. Romero is a registered nurse and understands the importance of being healthy. A lot of the foods that are eaten in the Romero house are of Filipino origin; which uses proteins such as chicken, seafood, and pork, noodles, vegetables that are indigenous of the Philippines that are found in Asian markets around town, and fresh fruits. For exercise, the Romero’s go to the gym, participate in yoga classes and hike the outdoor trails. The Romero’s also know the importance of yearly check- ups. German- American
The Schoellhammer’s- First generation German American Germany is Europe’s largest economy, and second most populated countries. Steeped in history good and bad, Germany is home to 80,854,408 people. The official language is German and there is a mixture of religions that are practiced, which include Protestant, Roman Catholic, Muslim and several other religions (The World Fact book, 2015) . Mr. Schoellhammer’s father came to the United States after World War II at the age of 31 to escape political uncertainty. The Mr. Schoellhammer grew up in southern California with his five siblings. The Schoellhammer’s are devout Roman Catholic’s and attend mass once a week and on holy days of observation and holidays. English is spoken in the home and the food that is eaten in the home is mostly American with some German influence of pickled cabbage, beets, and bratwurst. The Schoellhammer’s live in a pretty diverse neighborhood in the suburburbs and have neighbors and friends of different ethnic and social backgrounds. The Schoellhammer’s believe in modern medicine and the children get annual checkups. The Schoellhammer’s regret that not enough physical activity is done outside of work, but try to get outside as often as they can. Native American
The Shebala’s- Navajo Nation The Navajo Indian’s are the largest indigenous nation recognized federally by the United States. The original Navajo Indians were from the western part of Canada just over a thousand years ago. After the Navajo settle in land that is now Arizona and New Mexico, they began to learn the ways of the Pueblo Indians. The Navajos based their way of life on the belief that the physical and spiritual worlds are blended together and everything on earth is alive and a relative (Navajo Indians, 2015). The Shebala’s are from this rich culture and were raised on the reservation in White Cone, Arizona. The Shebala’s currently reside in Mesa, AZ and are raising a little girl age eighteen months. The Shebala’s are very close to immediate and extended family and sees them on a weekly basis. The Shebala’s are active members of their tribe and attend ceremonies weekly and monthly. The practice their traditions by singing, dancing and dressing in their ceremonial garb, they mostly have friends from the same ethic background and they speak Navajo, Zuni, and Comanche in the home occasionally. The Shebala’s believe in western as well as indigenous medicines. The Shebala’s prepare and eat their native food as well as traditionally American foods. They do get yearly checkups and rely on the great outdoors for exercise. Healthcare providers have to come in contact with people from different ethnic backgrounds often in practice. The differences in traditions have to be accommodated in order to provide complete care and education. The health assessment tool is very supportive in helping providers be more understanding of how the patient approaches health maintenance, health restoration and health culture based on traditions and heritage. Having an understanding of people’s heritages shows them we do genuinely care for them as individuals` and establishes trust.
References
Heritage | Definition of heritage by Merriam-Webster. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heritage
Navajo Indians | Navajo Indian Tribe | Navajo Nation. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.navajoindian.net/
The World Factbook. (2015, July). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html