Family Assessment on the Calhoun

¶ … family assessment on the Calhoun family, from the movie the Notebook, written by Nicholas Sparks. The writer includes all of the basic elements that an assessment is supposed to include.

The family members are named Noah and Allie Calhoun. They are both in their 90's and they live in a town called New Bern. Noah completed high school and then went into the military during World War II, while Allie completed high school and went to college while studying poetry and other things that would be useful to being a wife during those times.

While Allie never worked, she came from a wealthy family that owned tobacco companies. Noah had always worked and came from what was considered a lower class background in the early days of their courtship.

Both Noah and Allie are from a Christian background though they are not extremely active in any particular faith or church activities during their early courtship.

Both Noah and Allie are white.

Currently both Noah and Allie reside in the same residential nursing home. In the past no mental illness was reported however, currently Allie suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

Physically both the Calhouns are above average looking even given their advanced ages. They reported that in their youth they were considered above average looking as well.

The family reports that the members have always had open and honest communication. The parents get along well and they raised their children to become productive adult members of society.

The Calhouns interact well within the residential nursing home setting, though they report that Noah snuck into Allie's room when they were forcibly separated due to Allie's deteriorating disease.

Until Allie became ill with Alzheimer's she and Noah were reportedly able to perform their own basic hygiene functions. When they got where they could no longer live on their own they moved into the nursing home. Until that point they reported they were able to fulfill family tasks according to societal norms of their era.

The family reports that the couple have what they need to sustain life. They are fed at the nursing home and prior to their entering their senior years Noah provided for the family through his employment.

These provisions allowed them to live at a normal healthy level.

While the couple reports they no longer engage in sexual relations due to Allie's condition, they report that they had a normal active sex life up until the onset of her illness.

There are no children under the age of 18 at this time. They did have children and raised them to adulthood where they now are productive in society.

At this point in their lives Noah and Allie are completely dependent on the nursing home staff for their well being and protection, however, Noah reports that for many years the family members depended on him when he was younger, and as he began to age he and his wife began to depend on their adult children. Noah reports now that they reside at the nursing home he and Allie dependent heavily on the staff to protect them from physical and emotional harm.

Nursing staff reports that the Calhouns adult children visit often and call daily to inquire about their parent's welfare. They provide the funds to pay for the extras Noah and Allie enjoy while at the home and they write them letters and send them cards weekly. Noah reports that his adult children do an "excellent" job of watching out for "old mom and dad" and he jokes that he did it right by raising them to know it would be their job to do so.

The nursing home director also reported that Noah's adult children regularly come and get him to take a day out of the home. Sometimes they go to a park, often they go out to eat and sometimes he stays overnight with his adult children and is returned in the morning. At one point they report, Allie was also accompanying them on the day outings but in the past few months as her disease progressed it became unsafe for her to go out without professional supervision as they were not able to control her outbursts.

The family reports that they chose this particular home because of the cognitive and emotional support that it offers it residents, including those who have Alzheimer's disease. They are happy with the care the home is providing and are encouraged by the social activities that Noah, in particular is encouraged to participate in. Daily there are card and domino games that can be found and the staff reports that Noah regularly participates in them as well as the monthly educational seminars that are provided.

Family members do encourage socially normative behaviors among other family members. This is witnessed by the staff as Noah is taken on day outings with his adult children and they pay the extra funding for him to go on the outings with the home that occur three times a year.

Independence of the family members is encouraged however, Noah reports that he does not want independence from Allie and often sneaks into her room at night to sit with her and to read to her whether or not she displays any recognition.