Self-Care for a Movie Family

¶ … self-care for a movie family as seen in Grumpier Old Men and applied to the Dorothea Orem's self-care framework concept. The writer explores the movie characters and compares it to the theory to explain what the characters do for their self initiated activities and care. There were three sources used to complete this paper.

When one wants to evaluate a family and hold it against a theory of health care one can turn to a case study about a real life family or they can watch a movie and analyze the movie family to determine how well it takes care of itself. The movie Grumpier Old Men is a good choice for the purpose of evaluating health care theories as it involves the characters of two elderly men. The men can be analyzed as they work their way through the plot and show the reader how they hold up to a chosen self-care theory of health care. The Dorothea Orem can be held against the movie family for discussion about the theory and the family's ability to demonstrate self-care.

Before one can begin to analyze the movie family as it relates to the Dorothea Orem self-care theory one must have an understanding about the theory itself.

Orem's model focuses on each individual's ability to perform self-care, defined as 'the practice of activities that individuals initiate and perform on their own behalf in maintaining life, health, and well-being (Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Framework (http://library.stritch.edu/nursingtheroies/orem.htm).'"

Self-care, according to Orem, means exactly that...self-care. It proposes that health and self-care can be measured by an individual's ability to determine and initiate needed activities for the purpose of maintaining a lifestyle and health.

The Movie

The movie Grumpier Old Men is a perfect silver screen production for the purpose of analyzing the theory as it relates to family because the family includes young adults, middle aged adults and senior citizens. One of the theory's most fundamental concepts relates to self-care and self initialized activities.

The two main characters, Max and John are senior citizens who have been fighting with each other for more than three decades. In the movie, John is married and people in the family believe that Max is missing out by not being married too.

When getting ready to analyze this movie family for the purpose of health care theories one needs to also analyze the structure and form of the family. In this family the structure consists of a lineal family because of the fact there are two generations involved. The seniors themselves and their adult children make up the structure for a lineal family. In addition, the family structure could be considered a joint family because the two men are of the same generation and one is married while the other one is widowed.

Cultural assessment

Performing a cultural assessment on this family was interesting as it is a family by choice more so than by birth.

The main characters are Max and John. They are each senior citizens who were born and raised in the United States. The primary language for each of them is English and they are male.

They each live in separate houses. John lives with his wife while Max lives with his adult son.

The family's universal health deviation self-care requisites include the basic need to monitor blood pressure, glucose levels, eye care needs and other elements of health that are usually more important as one ages. Max and John and John's wife are all senior enough that these elements are mandated for the purpose of self-care. While they may not be able to monitor the vital signs themselves they are able to initiate activities to get them monitored including going for check ups at the doctor and using monitor machines available in local stores.

Universal care involves balancing activity and rest to prevent hazards to human life functioning and well being. It involves eating and breathing which are two things that these men can do on their own and are quite capable of doing.

Universal health care needs as they relate to the movie family and the Orem theory include maintaining air, water and of course food. In addition the ability to excrete as well as balancing rest and activity. The final step of this part of the theory includes balancing solitude and social interaction.

Max and John both participate effectively and successfully in the Universal health care aspect of the Orem theory. They eat, rest, socialize and have alone time in healthy and acceptable amounts.

Developmental health care with regards to the Orem theory include the need to meet the changes in conditions that could affect human development and life in a negative manner. One classic example of this in the movie is the fact that they are elderly men which means blood pressure monitoring and medication needs.

A less obvious measure of self-care regarding developmental care is in the ability to make and keep doctor appointments for the purpose of checkups and monitoring already diagnosed conditions that may worsen with the aging process.

Health Deviation Self-Care Requisites for the purpose of analyzing this movie family are almost non-existent. Both men are considerably healthy and free of disease though several references are made to unpleasant tests and procedures for the purpose of comedy and are based on the aging process of the men who are the main characters of this movie family.