THE COMMUNITY AS A

CLIENT
THE COMMUNITY AS A CLIENT
 GENERAL OBJECTIVE:
At the end of this session, students should be able to
demonstrate an understanding on the community as a client.
Learning objectives:
At the end of the session, students should be
able to:
Define the community.
Discuss types of families, marriages and the
position of a woman in society.
Describe the family as a unit of service
Outline Family assessment
Outline factors affecting the health of the
family and family health care intervention
 Definition of a Community

A Community is a group of people having common rights,

privileges, or interests, or living in the same place.
(BrainyMedia.com)
 Concept of the community as a client
The concept of community as a client refers to a group or
population of people living together and would once in a
while require health services.
 Definition of a family
A family is a social system composed of two or more
people living together who may be related by blood,
marriage or adoption or stay together by mutual agreement.
 TYPES OF FAMILY

Nuclear family – composed of husband, wife and children.

Husband and wife are joined by marriage and their children
are either biological offspring or adopted.
 Types of family
Extended family – it is a family that consist of family kin network
such as grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins. In this family,
there is a strong family unity and members support each other in
time of sickness.
Single parent family – this family consists of an adult woman or
man and children. These types of families are as a result of divorce,
out of wedlock pregnancies, absence or death of a spouse, or
adoption by a single person.

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 Types of family
Cohabiting – consists of a man and woman living together without
being married. The reasons for preferring this arrangement include
the desire for a ‘trial marriage’ ,increased safety of living with one
another, financial basis.
 Types of family
Step / blended families – is composed of two adults, at
least one of whom has remarried following divorce, or
death of a spouse. These families include children from
either previous marriage, as well as offspring from the new
marriage
 Types of family
Same sex family –is a form of cohabiting in which a couple
of the same sex live together and share a sexual
relationship. It might be difficult however, for the
homosexual family to stay together over time because of
the lack of social sanction and support for their lifestyle.
 Types of family
Child headed family – is one where there are no adult
carers available and children live on their own. The older
child will care for the siblings cousins, nephews or nieces.
such a situation is increasingly common in areas with high
AIDS mortality and regions and regions affected by
genocide or war.
 Types of family
Grandparent headed family – this is where a grandfather
or grandmother are heading a family who may be orphans
as well as financial difficulties especially if headed by a
single woman without any source of income.
 DEVELOPMENTAL FAMILY LIFE
CYCLE
– is the emotional and intellectual stages a person passes
through from childhood to their retirement age as the member
of the family.
As one grows and enters different phases in their lives, they
go through various challenges and conquer milestones unique
to that phase.
 DEVELOPMENTAL FAMILY LIFE
CYCLE
For example, in the first few years of life a baby is dealing
with learning to trust his or her care givers, whereas the
main task of the teen is the need to figure out their own
identity.
 DEVELOPMENTAL FAMILY LIFE
CYCLE
There are 6 stages of family life cycle:
1. The first thing is family formation, a couple that may stay
for two years childless or may have have their first birth.
2. For the next 20 years or so, there shall be family
expansion, child bearing of first birth to last childbirth and
child rearing will be central concern.
 DEVELOPMENTAL FAMILY LIFE
CYCLE
3. This period will be followed by about 6 years when
children are leaving home for college, marriage or career.
4. For approximately 13 years the old couple will be living
alone once more.
5.This will be followed by the final 16 years plus, the
family will be reduced to a widow or widower
 DEVELOPMENTAL FAMILY LIFE
CYCLE
6. This is the dissolution of the family which is from death
of one spouse to death of another.
DEVELOPMENTAL FAMILY LIFE
CYCLE
Why family life cycle is important to a
public health midwife:
Family life cycle theory suggests that
successful transitioning may help to prevent
disease and emotional or stress related
disorders. Whether you are a parent or a
child, brother or sister, bonded by blood or
love, your experience through the family
life cycle will affect who you are and who
you become.
 Roles of the family
Reproduction –Families shold reprocreate new family
members so that people can grow and expand into bigger
communities. Without procreation human race would die
and have no family to carry on the norms and values of the
human race.
 Roles of the family
Socialisation – the family is the primary agent of
socialisation. The values and cultures of the family are
introduced to the children.
Economic support-provision of food, shelter, clothing etc
 Roles of the family
Provision of health care- the family provides care for the
family members such as taking children for under five
clinic so they can get immunization.
Security – the family members need to know where to go
and rest from the cold of the night and during rainy season
and even a place to call home.
 Roles of the family
Family control-maintains order within the family and
outsiders.Lack of control leads to deviant or decadent
behavior. Each Family member knows their roles,
bounderies and how to function in the family. Children
know they should come straight home from school at the
end of their classes
 Roles of the family
Maintenance of family morale and motivation- family
members needs to maintain morale and motivation so that
each member can carry out family tasks by providing a
system of rewarding and punishments to encourage them to
work even more harder.